Odessa
by corkypup
Summary: COMPLETE! ObiWanOC, RotS spoilers. When a Jedi apprentice loses everything, can she put her life back together? Old habits die hard, but with the help of a Jedi Master, she is able to fulfill the destiny of her own life and her child's. Please RnR!
1. Prologue

Prologue

(Approximately three years before the start of _Revenge of the Sith_)

Disclaimer – I own only Odessa and the plot!

Jedi Padawan Odessa Sinthea carefully flew her starfighter out of range of the droid starships, waiting for backup. Her master, Gheros Nils, brought his own ship to her right, as a number of fighters lined up behind them. Flying had always come naturally to her, and her master had thought it would be productive to her learning if she led a few battles herself. Through the windows she saw Master Gheros nod to her, and she readied her weapons.

"Now, I think it's best if the fighters split up and come in from both sides, creating a diversion. That way Master Gheros and I can head directly for the main droid ship and knock it out while their defenses are low. Commander Lewis, take your squadron to the right, and Commander Solo, take yours to the left. With any luck, this should be a quick battle," she said to the army behind her.

"Are you sure you won't need us to come in and save your rear end, Sinthea?" A witty voice sounded over her headset. She could hear the smirk in the man's voice.

"No, we should be fine this time. And Commander Solo, I would appreciate it if we could do without the lip from you," she responded curtly, though she was smiling. The sound of her best friend and husband's voice gave her strength, even if he was making snide comments. His light-hearted remarks made her feel better than any well wishes and assurances of her capability ever could.

"Now, this droid army is small, but if we allow them to survive, they will become a threat to this star system. We need to wipe them out and quickly, before they can call for reinforcements. Keep your eyes are ears open, and we should be able to finish this quickly," Master Gheros said sternly. Odessa glanced over at him, and while he appeared grim, he did not seem upset with her. She was sure that her master had his suspicious about her relationship with Commander Solo, but he had kept it quiet. She had done her best to hide the relationship from her master, but he had known Odessa for almost her entire life, and had watched her grow up. Perhaps he did know, but was keeping it quiet, so that she could achieve her full potential as a Jedi?

"Let's head out. Good luck, everyone – not that you'll need it." She signaled the army to move out, and watched as they quickly surrounded the droid army. The starships scattered everywhere, obviously not expecting the attack. The fighters were picking them off easily, and once approximately half of the droid ships were down, Odessa looked towards her master for confirmation. He nodded his head once more.

"The force be with you, Master," she said to him.

"And you, my apprentice." They started forward, their ships moving as if controlled by one mind. With their movements synchronized, they easily maneuvered their way through the chaos of the battle, and were within firing range of the main ship in moments. She fired at the shield generators, and as she did so, numerous battle droids spewed out of the ship. Almost instantaneously the droids had fired multiple homing missiles towards the two Jedi, forcing them to split up as they dodged out of the way. Odessa sped towards the main ship, working her way through the battle droids. She saw that Master Gheros was lagging behind, but knew that he would want her to press forward instead of coming to his aid. She had a clear shot at the shield generator, but as she moved to take it, she heard her master's voice through her headset.

"I've been hit!" His voice was steady, but she could hear the fierce concentration in his voice as he tried to rectify his situation. She turned her ship suddenly to go help him, and saw that he was spinning wildly as the droids moved in to destroy his ship. She hadn't gone far when his voice sounded again.

"Odessa, no! Continue with the mission! You have a clear shot, now take it!"

She took a deep breath, then turned back to the droid ship. Addressing the fighters, she hurriedly ordered, "Commander Solo! Go help General Nils!" She saw a small number of fighter ships quickly move towards Master Gheros, and she returned her concentration to the droid ship. She took her shot, and quickly disabled the shields. Pressing forward, she fired multiple missiles into the docking bay, which sent the droid ship spiraling away from her. With a few more shots, she was able to destroy the ship. She turned to see if Master Gheros was still in trouble, and was greeted by a massive explosion surrounding his ship. Once the flames settled, she saw the fighter ships, but her master was no more.

Hoarsely, she commanded the rest of the fighters to finish off the battle droids and regroup near their base station. They were finished within minutes, but they felt like hours to Odessa as she searched the wreckage of her master's ship for any sign of him. She continued searching until she heard Commander Solo's voice gently say, "It's time to head back now, Commander Sinthea." Reluctantly she led them into the docking bay of their command ship, where they were all greeted with medic droids. Odessa obediently followed them in a daze, and sat patiently as they checked her over.

"Commander Sinthea, you're perfectly fine. Your child is, too, but you may want to consider returning home, in order to maintain your child's health," the droid told her in a tinny voice. She started at it in shock. She wanted to question it, to insist that it was wrong, but deep in her heart she knew that she was indeed carrying a child. Mixed emotions flowed through her as she thought of the consequences of both her master dying and the realization that she was going to have a child. Wordlessly she made her way to her quarters, and contacted the Jedi Temple with news that her master had been killed in battle. They asked her to return as soon as possible, in order to assess the situation.

Hours later, she heard a knock on the door, as she expected. She opened it, and there stood Commander Solo.

"May I come in, Commander?" He asked her politely. She nodded, and he entered the room. As soon as she closed the door, he embraced her tightly as the tears she had worked so hard to contain finally spilled out of her eyes.

"Darling, I'm so sorry. I know what he meant to you," he said soothingly into her hair.

"If I had just stayed with him, instead of moving forward like the headstrong idiot I am, he'd still be here," she said shakily.

"'Dessa, listen to me. It's not your fault. You heard what he said; you had to complete the mission. If anything, it's my fault. You told me to help him, but I was too slow in getting there to be of any use. I'm sorry, love." He rubbed her back gently. She looked up at him.

"Don't you dare try and make this your fault; I know that you did everything you could. I know he...he wouldn't have want to go any other way," She said sternly, her tears finally slowing. She sat on her small bed, and motioned for him to do the same.

"I've already contacted the Jedi Council, and they wish to see me in Coruscant as soon as possible, so I will most likely be leaving in the next few hours. I'm placing you in control of the army until I return…well, if I return," she told him reluctantly.

"If you return? Why wouldn't you?" he asked her, surprised.

"Well…Darling, I suppose it's wonderful, but it'll definitely put a dent in our plans. We're going to have a child." She searched his face for a response.

His eyes lit up as he jumped up and pulled her into his arms excitedly. Grinning like a young boy, he kissed her sweetly.

"That's wonderful, 'Dessa! We've always wanted a family, and now finally we will have one! But, 'Dessa, what does this mean about your training?" His face suddenly became serious.

"I…I don't know. But I can't imagine that they'll…that they'll grant me knighthood now. I will plead my case with the council, but I really don't think that it will help." Her eyes began to fill with tears again, despite her attempts to appear unconcerned. He pulled her into his arms again.

"Darling, I'm so sorry. I know how important being a Jedi is to you. If it would help, maybe…maybe we could get rid of this one, and try later?" He said cautiously, but his eyes betrayed how unhappy that solution would make him. She glared at him.

"Never! I would never destroy a life that we created together. Nothing is more important than my life with you, and the life of our child. I will plead my case with the council, but if I'm not to be a Jedi, then so be it." Her face was hard, betraying no emotion but firmness. He took her hands in his.

"Alright love, alright. I'll see what I can do about getting out of the war early, and I'll join you on Coruscant as soon as I can. No doubt you'll want to raise this child together, no?" He looked at her, his eyes filled with love and compassion.

"Alright. I'll contact you once I have a reply from the Jedi Council. I'm sure you'll make a wonderful leader, General Solo." She kissed him once more, and let him out of the room. He saluted her, and she did the same. He then bent forward and whispered quietly, "I love you, Odessa Sinthea." She smiled, then closed the door.

Her return to Coruscant seemed both excruciatingly long and altogether too short. She spent the time formulating her case for the Jedi Council, but she knew that there was no way they would allow her to continue with her Jedi training. It pained her to realize that everything she had worked for in her life had disappeared in the blink of an eye, but she knew that she would make the best of whatever life threw at her. By the time she had docked her starfighter into the hangar at the Jedi Temple, she had a plan to ensure that while she may never gain the role she had wanted, her entire life would not be a waste.

Master Yoda greeted her as she entered the temple. They engaged in idle chitchat until they arrived into his quarters, and she sat in front of him.

"Strong with the force you are, Odessa Sinthea. No reason to deny you knighthood, the council has. However, hesitation in you I sense. What concerns have you about becoming a Jedi Knight?" His green eyes peered at her with a complete sense of calm that momentarily subdued the anxiety inside her. It was very tempting to conceal her pregnancy and allow them to grant her the rank she had worked so hard for, but she knew that in a few months, it wouldn't matter anyway. And if she did conceal her child now, she could be in serious trouble when her pregnancy was discovered.

"Master Yoda, shortly after I learned of Master Gheros's death, I discovered that I am pregnant." The silence hung in the air like a heavy cloak, and Odessa felt as if it would choke her. Gazing at her curiously, Master Yoda finally spoke.

"Change things, that does. Who the father is, may I ask?" His voice betrayed no emotion.

"A man that I have loved for many years. However, my love for him has never gotten in the way of my Jedi training. But I understand that having a child is different, and I will fully accept and agree with your decision, should you deny me knighthood. If it's possible, though, I would like to be able to work at the Jedi temple. I have learned much over my years in training, and with so many Jedi away at war, the younglings could use a good tutor who is consistently at the temple. I would also help in the library, of course, wherever I'm needed, should you allow me to do this." She waited with bated breath as Master Yoda considered this possibility. He paced the room for a moment, then turned to her.

"Much consideration this requires. Speak with the council, I will. Return tomorrow afternoon, and have an answer, we will," he said. She nodded.

"Yes, Master Yoda. Thank you for your time." She bowed courteously, then exited his chambers. She walked quickly through the expansive hallways of the temple, desperately hoping that they would stay deserted. She was a jumble of emotions, none of them showing her intense training as a Jedi. She felt as if she was an embarrassment to the establishment, and she should be grateful that Master Yoda hadn't killed her right then.

Somehow she made her way to her small apartment and collapsed on the couch. She sat there, staring into nothingness, trying to free herself from the emotions overwhelming her. Perhaps minutes, perhaps hours later, she heard the electronic beeping of her communicator. She stood and walked over to it. Pressing a button, a small hologram of her husband's head and upper torso appeared.

"Darling, I'm glad to see you arrived safely. Have you spoken with the council yet?" His eyes were full of concern.

"Yes, I've spoken with Master Yoda, but he must speak with the rest of the council before coming to a decision about my status. I'm to return to the temple tomorrow to hear their conclusion," she responded, calmed by her husband's voice.

"I'm sure everything will work out for the best, love. I haven't yet had a chance to enquire about leaving early – we're heading out on a big mission in a few hours, so we've all been busy. A large fleet of droid ships was found not to far from our current position, so we're going to try and wipe them out before they establish a base. It shouldn't be long, but if you don't hear from me for a few days, don't get concerned, alright?"

"Okay, darling. I'll try to contact you tomorrow when I find out what the council has decided. Good luck on the mission, though you won't need it." She stared wistfully at the hologram.

"I love you, 'Dessa," he said in almost a whisper.

"And I you." She pressed the button quickly, fearing if she didn't, she'd never be able to stop talking with him. He was her only handhold to reality, and she hated being far from him. She busied herself with unpacking and straightening up the apartment, and then went to the Jedi temple do to some research. She entered the expansive library, and saw that the place was empty, with only a few younglings studying in a corner. Sitting at a computer, she quickly started researching Jedi that had families. After long hours of reading through articles and encyclopedias, she found that the only the Sith were known for having families and being able to control the force. It confirmed what she had been dreading – there was no way she would become a Jedi Knight. She only hoped that they didn't believe her evil or dangerous enough to join the Sith. She would never do such a thing, but the council may not realize that. Exhausted, she returned home and fell into a restless sleep.

She woke early, as always, and jumped out of bed to meet her master for their morning exercises and meditation. As she stood, she realized that she was in her apartment on Coruscant, not in the Outer Rim, and that her master was still dead. A shock of emptiness shot through her body, and she almost crumpled to the floor as the events of the day before played through her mind in rapid succession. She forced herself to stay up and not let her emotions overwhelm her, telling herself that her master was still with her and he wouldn't want all the years he spent training her to disappear once he was gone. She went through her exercises, hearing her master's voice in her mind as if he was still beside her. Going through the familiar actions that she had performed every day of her life helped her feel more at peace with herself and her situation. The Jedi council may deprive her of everything she had worked for, but they couldn't take her memories from her. Once the sun was fully over the horizon, she showered and dressed for her meeting at the Jedi temple.

She entered the council's chambers with a sense of calm that she didn't believe she would have, due to the circumstances. She stood in the center of the room and greeted each master in turn. Several were looking at her with an expression of disappointment and distrust, but a few were looking at her curiously, as if they weren't entirely sure what to make of her. Master Yoda, of course, betrayed no emotion through his expression.

"Odessa Sinthea, we have considered your situation, and we have come to a conclusion on your future," Mace Windu began. Odessa swallowed. She knew she should feel more anxiety than she did, but she all she felt was a calm detachment from the situation. Her face was blank as she listened to him inform her of her fate.

"You will not be granted knighthood. However, we have granted you permission to work at the Jedi temple as a tutor for the young ones, as well as working for the library. Report to the main desk in the library as soon as you feel ready." Odessa thought she saw a brief glimpse of sympathy flash through his eyes, but it was gone as suddenly as it appeared. Odessa nodded silently, bowed to the collective council, and left.

She reported to the library right away, just to get acquainted with the staff and to receive her initial duties. A stern-looking woman behind the desk introduced herself as Merina Orven and informed her that she would be recording the recent battles into the encyclopedia, and she was to set two hours each day aside to aid the younglings, should they need her assistance. She would also be restocking shelves and helping to keep the place tidy, along with any other necessary chores for the library. Odessa saw that the library was sorely understaffed, and was more than willing to do what she could to help the temple. She looked over the massive piles of data that needed to be added to the encyclopedia and familiarized herself with the computers, so she could make a quick start on it the next day. She bid Merina farewell, and headed back to her apartment.

Mixed feelings filled her as she stared idly out of the window of her transport. She had known that there was no way she would be granted knighthood, but it still hurt to be denied what she had worked her entire life for. But she was able to still be considered a Jedi, and work within the temple. It was the best she could hope for, but she had a nagging feeling in her mind that something was still terribly wrong. She would meditate on it later, so she could figure out what was wrong and resolve the problem.

She approached her apartment, and saw a figure in a fighter uniform standing in front of her door. Believing it to be her husband, she rushed forward, but as she got closer, she saw that it was Commander Lewis.

"Commander Lewis, this is unexpected. May I help you?" She asked. He saluted her formally, and handed her a holograph disc.

"General Solo asked me to bring this to you after he had left on his mission. I'm not sure what it contains." He told her.

They entered her apartment, and she placed the disc into the projector. The head of her husband appeared, and began to speak.

"Hello darling. I hope everything went well with the Jedi Council – I'm sure they will see that you're too much of an asset to the Jedi to just banish you from their ranks. Know that whatever they decide, I am proud of you and I love you. Now, the reason for this message. I wasn't completely honest with you when describing the mission I left on. We knew that it was going to be a suicide mission going in, but it was vital that we destroy this fleet of droid ships, as they were preparing to amass a large army and attack a star system vital to the Republic. I am truly sorry that I couldn't be with you, and that I couldn't help you raise our child together. You have your role in this galaxy, and I had mine. Know that no matter where I am, I will always love you and want you to be happy. I have faith that you will be a wonderful mother and I only wish I could be there to see it. I love you, darling." The holograph faded away.

Odessa turned to Commander Lewis, her face pale. She was shaking slightly.

"Is it true? Is he really…is he dead?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper. She knew the truth before Commander Lewis responded.

"Yes, it is true. He and his squadron were destroyed in the battle with the droid army. However, he was able to destroy the droids in the process. He has been awarded a medal of honor. I'm sorry, General Sinthea, I didn't realize that you two were together," He told her, his eyes full of sympathy. Odessa collapsed onto the couch, the weight of the recent events finally crushing down upon her. Commander Lewis sat next to her, placing a hand on her back.

"Please let me know if there's anything I can do for you, General Sinthea. Is there any family I should contact, either for you or for General Solo?"

Odessa shook her head. "Both…both of our families died when we were young…that's how we became so close. We…we had no one else but each other."

"I understand. I can stay for a few hours, but I must return to the battles. With General Solo gone, I have been placed in charge. Is there anyone I can call to come stay with you?"

Odessa looked up, her tearstained face streaked with red. "I…I should be fine. Thank you for everything, Commander Lewis," she said. He stood, and handed her a leather case.

"Here is his medal of honor. Since you are the only connection we've found for General Solo, I'll leave it with you. Again, I'm very sorry, General Sinthea." She took it, and Commander Lewis let himself out of the apartment. Odessa made her way to her bedroom and slowly undressed and laid down in her bed. She got very little sleep.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Only Odessa and the plot are mine!

The battle sequence in this chapter was inspired by the battles in _Ender's Game_, by Orson Scott Card, so that belongs to him, not me.

Two months had passed since that fateful day when Commander Lewis had appeared outside her apartment. Odessa had spent a day in bed, too grief-stricken to move, when she finally decided that both her husband and her master would have been completely disgusted at the way she was acting. They were gone; she was not. She had a job to do, and she intended on doing it.

Entering the Jedi temple that first day had been difficult. She passed old friends, old mentors, and realized that she could never be what they were, she could never achieve what they had achieved. Her life had been forever changed, and as much as she tried to convince herself that she must move on, part of her desperately wanted to lash out at those who had put her in the position she was in now. But she knew, deep in her heart, that there was no one to blame but herself.

Merina had put her to the task of recording the recent battles of the war into the encyclopedia right away. There was a decade's worth of information that needed to be deciphered, typed and inputted into the database. Odessa was a bit overwhelmed initially, but once she began, she realized that she couldn't have been placed in a better position. Reading about the battles rekindled the flame of passion for fighting for peace throughout the galaxy that had once burnt so fiercely inside of her. Everyone once in a while she would come across a battle that she and her master had participated in, and found herself going through the battle countless times in her head, cursing herself for mistakes she'd made, and applauding herself on strategies that had worked particularly well. In the two months that had passed, she had become quite an expert on battle strategy, viewing almost a hundred battles in the course of her work.

Tutoring the younglings was very fulfilling, too. They were young, innocent, and eager to learn, and they soaked up every bit of wisdom she gave to them as if it were rain on parched soil. She would amuse the younger ones with silly tricks using the force whenever they seemed homesick or a bit discouraged if their progress wasn't moving as quickly as they had hoped. She came to treasure the time she spent with the children, and eagerly awaited the appointments she had with them in the mid-afternoon.

Odessa arrived at the temple early, as usual. She never got out of the habit of performing her daily exercises, so her biological clock always woke her early. She typically arrived before Merina, so often that she gave Odessa the keys to unlock the computer system for general use. Odessa found the absolute silence of the early morning comforting as she sat at her desk to continue transcribing the numerous battles. It helped her play out the battles in her head, imagining them without the distraction or concern that arrived with the few Jedi who visited the library.

Late in the morning, the uncomfortable feeling of someone watching her interrupted her from her work, and she looked up to see Master Obi-Wan Kenobi looking at her thoughtfully. Once he saw he had her attention, he smiled.

"I'm terribly sorry, Master Kenobi," she said hurriedly, saving the bit of data she had been working on. "I hope you weren't waiting long?"

"No, not long at all, Ms. Sinthea. Though I must say it is rather refreshing to see someone so dedicated to their work that they wouldn't notice someone standing over them for close to ten minutes, especially someone with Jedi training." Odessa blushed, but she saw that Obi-Wan was smiling. She grinned slightly at him.

"What can I do for you, Master Kenobi?" she asked politely. He studied her face for a moment before answering, his clear turquoise eyes calm yet inquisitive. She felt as if he were trying to peer into her mind, and it wasn't an altogether comfortable feeling.

"I'm looking for a particular battle that occurred near Rattatak in the distant Outer Rim, perhaps three years ago. The Rattataki have an uncommon battle style, and there have been rumors that the Separatists have befriended them, and they are amassing a new type of army there. My apprentice and I must find out what's going on there shortly, and I would like to be prepared for the battle that unfortunately will ensue. The Rattataki have something of a penchant for war." She racked her brain for the battle he spoke of as he once again calmly studied her face.

After a moment's thought, her eyes lit up with recognition as she remembered the battle he spoke of. She had transcribed that battle a week ago, but she hadn't yet updated the databases to include it. She sorted through the numerous disks on top of her desk until she found the right one.

"Follow me," she said as she rose and made her way to a small hologram projector. Inserting the disc, a brutal battle appeared in the air before them, with numerous small ships quickly engulfing the larger Republic fighters. A look of concern crossed Obi-Wan's face as he watched the seemingly helpless fighters become overrun by the endless fleet of Rattataki. A chaotic retreat ensued, with only a few fighters making it out. The hologram faded away, and Obi-Wan stared at the empty air above the projector, stroking his beard thoughtfully. A few moments passed, and then Odessa tentatively spoke up.

"It really isn't as bad as it seems, Master Kenobi. I spent at least five hours analyzing this battle, and I get the idea that there's one central ship controlling the entire fleet – the rest are just attachments; limbs if you will. I noticed something odd near the end. If you look here," she queued up the hologram so it was at the point she was speaking of, "you'll notice that all the ships seem to lose control, just moving with the momentum from their last movements. It's hard to tell, because of the chaos of the retreat. But they've also stopped firing, and they're just scattering about. So I went back in the battle a bit more, and found that once a certain ship was destroyed," she quickly pointed it out as she rewound the video a bit more, "all the ships seemed to lose control. So then I watched the battle from the beginning, and noticed that, while that one ship is indistinguishable from the rest, whenever a fighter would get close to it, massive amount of ships would come to its aid. You'll notice that in the battle, it seems that they fight with an 'every man for himself' mentality, but this ship gets lots of protection. Now, things may have changed since this battle, but I think if you can seek out and destroy this main ship, you won't have a problem defeating the army." Odessa looked at him expectantly, her eyes searching his face for a response. He did not speak right away, but instead watched the battle a few times, to confirm that she was correct about the circumstances of the battle. Looking up at her, he smiled.

"Well, it certainly would have taken me far longer to pick up on that without your help. However, I'm not entirely sure how to find this central ship without many losses and stabs in the dark – I am trying to avoid as many deaths as possible, regardless of the seemingly endless supply of clones we have for our army. And I worry that my apprentice is a bit headstrong; so I would prefer that if he is to go dashing off into battle, he at least it aiming for the correct ship. Do you have any ideas on how to locate the main ship?" Odessa could feel him trying to use the force to influence her to tell him, and while she realized that it was probably just a reflex that he always used when trying to get information, it irritated her just a little bit. Casting a glace to the large clock over the main desk, she turned back to him, her shoulders squared.

"I have thought of a few ideas, but can that wait until after lunch? I get very few breaks in my work here, and I'm on a strict schedule. Of course, you may join me if you like, and we can discuss it then," she said to him, her eyes staring right into his. He was taken aback by her suddenly assertive attitude, but intrigued at the same time. He studied her face once more, to detect any sort of emotion. Her expression betrayed nothing, just cool honey-colored eyes looking adamantly into his.

"I would be honored if I could join you for lunch. Few things are as riveting as discussing battle plans over the prattle of the younglings in the cafeteria," he said, a slight smile dancing on his lips. She grinned, and took the disc back to her desk. Grabbing a small satchel containing a few personal items, she joined him at the library entrance. They made their way to the cafeteria in silence, listening to the dim roar or the younglings heading en masse for their midday meal. Picking from the large selection of pre-packaged meals, they chose a small table near the back of the large cafeteria, far from the noise of the children chattering away as they ate. Odessa had barely settled in her seat before starting to speak.

"I think initially, the main ship will be well hidden. So the best way to determine where it's located will be to set up fighters randomly around the army, and fire into them. The ships will naturally try to protect the main ship if one of the fighters fires near it, so wherever it appears that the ships aren't being completely offensive, there's a good bet that that's where it's located. If that doesn't work, wait a bit into the battle…don't send the vital fighters in right away. I get the feeling that as the battle progresses, the main ship will fall into the most protected area, to easily assess the situation and decide what to do. Look to see where the center of the army seems to be, and you'll most likely find the main ship." She took a breath, then bit into her sandwich. Obi-Wan had listened, intrigued, as she went through her theory. He gazed at her thoughtfully for a few moments as she ate.

"You know, it really is a pity that a mind like yours isn't active in battles anymore. We could really use your knowledge of battles on the front. But, considering your circumstances, it really isn't possible," He looked at her with a curious expression on his face, somewhere between sympathy and disapproval. She cast him a sad smile.

"I truly miss it. I've always loved flying, and fighting for what I believed in made me feel so wonderful. But sometimes life decides to throw a wrench into your plans, and I'm just trying to make the best of things." She cast a quick look at her slightly protruding stomach before meeting Obi-Wan's gaze. He still had on the look of sympathy and disapproval, but there was also a glimmer of confusion, as if he didn't know exactly what to make of her. Odessa smiled inwardly; she prided herself on being able to control what people could and couldn't figure out about her, and even a Jedi Master was no exception. She took another few bites of her sandwich in silence before Obi-Wan spoke up again.

"Your situation is…unfortunate, but I must say that I agree with the council's decision. It's far too dangerous to allow you to continue when your main concern would naturally be for your child's safety," He said tentatively.

"I agree. While I miss my old life, I don't regret what happened. I loved my husband, and the most important thing to me was my life with him. Being a Jedi was an extremely close second, but I think it will definitely pale when compared to being a mother." She looked away, hoping that she wouldn't reveal the pain she felt from being expelled from the Jedi order. If he picked up on it, he didn't mention anything.

"I didn't realize that you were married. You did realize that marriage was strictly forbidden, did you not?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Of course I did. But as I said, there are more important things than being a Jedi. Love is definitely one of them. But I never let my love for my husband get in the way of my training – were my master still alive, he would vouch for me. I don't believe I ever let him down."

"Did he know of your, er, situation?"

"You mean, did he have his suspicions? I'm sure. How could he not? My husband and I had been the best of friends since childhood, and he couldn't have missed that. But surely he saw that I was a capable Jedi, regardless of my relationship with my husband." There was a slight edge of bitterness in Odessa's voice, which she tried to conceal. It wasn't lost on Obi-Wan. The clock chimed the hour, and she rose.

"I must return to my work, Master Kenobi. I wish you the best of luck on your expedition, and may the force be with you." He rose and formally shook her hand, his face once again a blank slate.

"Thank you, Ms. Sinthea, for all of your help. No doubt our paths will cross again – it's rare to find a librarian with such a knowledge of Jedi battles." They walked to the exit in silence, and split ways. Odessa watched his retreating back for a moment, unsure of what to make of him. He seemed compassionate, but deeply involved in all the workings of the Jedi, so much so that he was blind to the fact that some rules were indeed made to be broken. Even his headstrong apprentice seemed to realize that, being almost twenty years his younger. Yes, even a great Jedi Master still had much to learn.

Odessa made her way back to her post in the library and resumed her work. Her thoughts dwelled on the impending battle for Obi-Wan and Anakin, hoping that she had provided enough information for them to manage the battle safely. The rumors of Anakin being the chosen one had reached her ears long ago, and as she had seen him in action, she came to believe that it was true. He was certainly gifted, but perhaps a bit too passionate to be a truly wonderful Jedi. Obi-Wan seemed to be a good influence for him, pushing him to be his best, but Odessa thought that perhaps the master was just a bit blinded by the fact that Anakin was the chosen one, and didn't focus much on the fact that he was also human.

She met with the younglings, and many had seen her meeting with Master Kenobi. They were eager to know what they had been discussing, so she spent her time with them explaining how she analyzed the battles that she was transcribing into the database. The older ones had their own theories on how some of the battles played out, which led to some lively debates. The younger ones simply watched in awe at the Jedi fighters as they performed the tricky maneuvers necessary to get out of the tight situations they put themselves into. Odessa spent an extra hour with them than she normally did, but even if she had to stay late, it had been worth it. They had been so excited, so eager to get on with their training, and she missed feeling the way they did.

She spent three extra hours at the library that evening, carefully analyzing the battles she was adding and updating the database. When she finally locked up, the sun had long since set and the hallways were darkened. She headed towards the entrance, but stopped abruptly when she saw two people embracing at the top of the steps. She took a few steps closer, and then snuck behind a column to hide. With a second glance, she saw that the man was Anakin, and the woman was crying. He said something so softly that it didn't reach Odessa's ears, and then pressed a tender kiss to the woman's lips. Embracing her tightly once more, he dashed down the steps and ran past Odessa towards the hangars for the starfighters. Once he was gone, the woman had sat on the steps and dissolved into sobs. Her heart aching for the woman, Odessa walked towards her.

"Are you alright?" She asked her softly. The woman looked up, and all color seemed to drain from her pretty face as she saw Odessa above her. She stood abruptly, eyes wide.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Did it look like…I mean, we weren't…you see, he's just my…I mean…" The woman desperately searched for some sort of excuse to make for Anakin, but Odessa just smiled and placed a hand on her arm.

"It's alright. I know how hard it is watch the person you love go off to battle. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," Odessa said comfortingly. The woman visibly relaxed, staring down the hallway Anakin had disappeared through. Odessa was surprised that Anakin of all people would have allowed himself to get into a relationship, especially with someone like Obi-Wan as his master. But she knew better than most that love can come out of even the strangest situations in life.

Looking back at the woman, she saw that silent tears were sliding down her pale cheeks as she stared off into the empty hallway. Odessa gently squeezed her arm, the woman looked at her sadly, and smiled.

"Would you care to come back to my apartment, and I'll make you something to eat? You look as if you could use some nourishment," Odessa said to the frighteningly pale woman. She paused for a moment, unsure of whether or not to trust Odessa.

"Well, I'm not sure…I mean, we haven't been properly introduced. I am Padmé Amidala, though it should be Padmé Skywalker, but we don't want Anakin to get in trouble." She held out a delicate hand, and Odessa shook it.

"I'm Odessa Sinthea. It should be Odessa Solo, but it's not, for very similar reasons to your own." Padmé cast her a surprised look, then smiled once more.

"I'd like to dine with you, but only if you tell me about your situation," she said to Odessa. They made their way to Odessa's small apartment as Odessa told Padmé the entire story of how she ended up working at the Jedi Temple, from discovering her pregnancy to her husband's death. By the time dinner was through, Padmé was as pale as she had been when she watched Anakin leave.

"Don't you worry about your husband, though. He's in safe hands. Earlier today Master Kenobi stopped by to do some research on this mission, and it shouldn't be dangerous, as long as Master Kenobi is careful, which he always is. I know he cares very much for Anakin, and he'll make sure he doesn't get himself in trouble. Well, too much trouble, at least. I daresay Anakin would find life very boring if he never got into any trouble." She smiled, and Padmé seemed to calm down a bit.

"I just can't believe that you were able to bounce back so well after, well, losing everything. If I didn't have Anakin in my life, I think I'd just shrivel and die…he really just kind of…completes me, you know?" Padmé looked up at her questioningly.

"Those we love never truly leave us. I constantly feel the presence of my master, and I know that my husband is still with me in here," she placed a hand on her stomach, "so he'll never really leave me. But neither of them would have wanted me to just forget everything I've worked so hard for, and 'shriveling and dying' would certainly anger them both. They made me the person I am today, just as I'm sure Anakin has made you stronger. Love is a powerful bond, one not so easily broken but such trivial things as death." Padmé stood, and walked towards the door.

"Would it, I mean, if it's okay with you, would it be alright if I visited you more often? There's no one I can really talk to about my relationship, and fewer that can understand what I'm going through. I mean, I've help raise my two younger siblings, too, so I could help you with the baby, and we could support each other…what do you think?" Padmé shot Odessa a hopeful look.

"Of course…it's been a while since I've had someone that I could talk to, also. And I could use all the help I can get with my child…I've never even held a baby before, so this is all new to me. Thank you for offering. And don't worry about your husband – he's very gifted, and he will do great things with his life," Odessa told her, smiling. Padmé's face brightened considerably as they walked to the door.

"Thank you, Odessa. You know, it's a shame they didn't allow you continue your Jedi training. I still think you'd make a wonderful Jedi knight, even though I don't know the first thing about it. So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow it is."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Only Odessa and the Plot are mine!

Responses to reviews at the end of this chapter! Thank you all for reviewing!

Other than her husband, Odessa never really had someone she could consider a friend. Her life had been too full of training and battles to have the time to grow close to anyone but her husband and her master. It had been a lonely life, but it was all she knew. It was strange to have this new entity in her life, this person she could call a friend who wanted nothing in return but her trust and friendship. It had been difficult at first for her to open up to Padmé, but once she did, she felt as if the heavy weight of everything she had bottled up inside had finally lifted, and she could breathe easily for the first time. It was a completely new sensation of freedom, and Odessa relished in it.

Padmé had a sweet innocence about her, which contrasted sharply with her fierce passion for her husband and her politics. One moment she was teary-eyed over the danger her husband was in, and the next she would be vociferously arguing her position on how much power the senate should have over the galaxy. She was a regular chatterbox, which matched Odessa's quiet, listener personality wonderfully. Yet it seemed that at the times when Padmé appeared inconsolable, it was only Odessa's calm voice and reassuring words that could soothe her. The two were like sisters in no time, and Odessa was thankful for the companionship.

Her pregnancy was not going as well as she hoped. As she entered her second trimester, debilitating morning sickness consumed her body. Padmé was often at her apartment in the early hours, helping Odessa force down breakfast after her morning exercises and giving her tips on what herbs and vegetables would be best for the baby. Odessa knew that without Padmé's help, she would have been panicking over the state of her baby and despairing over her husband's absence. It was definitely too much for one person to deal with on their own.

Three months after Obi-Wan and Anakin had left, Odessa overheard that they had been successful in their explorations and were returning to Coruscant in two weeks' time to report their findings to the Jedi Council. She rushed through her work, eager to tell Padmé the wonderful news. In their entire absence there had been no communication, no way for either woman to know if the two Jedi were still alive. It wasn't as if Odessa could walk in on the council meetings and ask for information regarding their progress without some legitimate reason, and Padmé couldn't express her concerns, having no ties to the Jedi that she wished to reveal. For perhaps the first time in her entire time working at the temple, she asked Merina if she could leave early. After convincing the woman that she had indeed completed the work necessary for the day, she quickly made her way to Padmé's lavish penthouse apartment, where she met her protocol droid, threepio. He greeted her warmly, but she rushed past him into the apartment.

"Padmé, are you here?" she called out excitedly, dropping her personal things on the couch. Rushing down the hallway, she nearly collided with the very woman she was searching for as she came out to meet her.

"'Dessa, what is it? You look absolutely frazzled! And why are you here so early? I wasn't expecting you for at least another hour! Come sit down, and have something to drink, you don't want to put any undue stress on the baby. Honestly, you nearly gave me-" Odessa silenced her with a wave of her hand, and took a deep breath.

"Padmé, Anakin and Obi-Wan are returning to Coruscant in two weeks." A moment of silence followed as Padmé's eyes grew wide. The color drained from her face, then flooded back in an instant. Once Odessa's words processed, she gave out a little squeak and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Really? That's wonderful, wonderful news! Oh, I'm so excited! But how did you find out?" Padmé looked at Odessa questioningly. She couldn't help smiling at Padmé's excitement.

"I overheard Masters Yoda and Windu talking about it in the cafeteria during lunch. Apparently they were successful on their expedition, and they're returning to report to the council. I came as soon as I could to tell you."

Tears of joy began to slip down Padmé's face, though it was still glowing with delight. She embraced Odessa tightly, then held her at arm's length.

"'Dessa, it feels like it's been years since I've seen him. I mean, our marriage has always been like this, but still, every time he returns makes me feel like a young newlywed again, just so anxious to be with him. All those nights crying myself to sleep…I always think I'm silly, once I hear he's coming home. Of course he'll be fine. He's the best, after all, isn't he? I shouldn't worry about him," Padmé bubbled on excitedly. Odessa smiled serenely at her and made her way to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Padmé seemed to be bursting at the seams as she followed Odessa idly, chattering away. She tried to help prepare the meal, but found that she was too excited to stay in one place, so she ended up frantically pacing the floor in the living area as Odessa cooked. Padmé calmed down a bit once dinner was ready, but she was still too worked up to eat. As Odessa ate, she told her about Anakin's past.

"He's led a really tough life, you know. I met him when he was only nine, and he was working as a slave. A slave! Can you believe that there's still slavery in the galaxy? I was absolutely horrified that this adorable little boy was forced to be a slave. But luckily Obi-Wan's master was able to free him, and train him to be a Jedi." She continued on, telling Odessa all of the escapades Anakin had been through, and how he watched his mother die. Odessa was quite surprised to hear that he killed so many people after his mother's death – it was not the Jedi way at all. She had known that he was headstrong and passionate, but she never thought that he was the type to succumb to his emotions so readily. True, he had matured since then, but that had been the same time that he had married Padmé. If he felt the same emotional connection to her that he had for his mother, he could easily abandon all of his Jedi teachings if he felt that Padmé was in danger. Odessa tried to shake the thoughts from her head. Anakin was the chosen one, so there was no way that he could betray the Jedi.

Padmé kept her up until the early hours of the morning, telling her about their courtship and everything else she could think of. It warmed Odessa's heart to see her friend so elated about Anakin's return. In the three months that they had known each other, she had seen a range of emotions on her friend, but never this barely containable excitement at the prospect of getting to spend time with her beloved, even if it was only to be a few days. She recalled fondly how she felt when she was returning to her husband, and while she renewed the pain she felt at his loss, she could also feel his love just as strongly as Padmé felt Anakin's. She returned to her apartment, and fell into a restful sleep, dreaming of her husband.

The two weeks crept along slowly. Padmé was frantically trying to plan a romantic welcome-back for Anakin, but after several hours of planning, she would change her mind and have to start from scratch. Odessa was looking forward to the Jedi's return, on the slim chance that she could learn about the battles they encountered. She tried not to think that Master Kenobi would care enough about her to let her know if she was correct about the battles, but there was a small glimmer of hope that she just couldn't extinguish. She threw herself into her work at the temple, rapidly transcribing numerous battles, but she couldn't get her mind off of the ones that had just completed.

They day of their return finally arrived, and Odessa spent the morning trying to calm her friend as she threw herself into fits of panic about the apartment not being clean enough or that her plans for the evening were going to be terrible failures. Once she had convinced Padmé that everything would be fine, she made her way to the temple. The polished hallways showed none of the excitement Odessa had been around for the past two weeks, none of the suspense that had filled her mind as to how the battle had gone. Only calm, low voices echoed through the marble staircases as she made her way to the library. It was empty as she entered, as usual, and she went to her desk to begin her work. Younglings, Padawans, and Masters trickled in and out, but their presence was lost on Odessa as she tirelessly worked. Mid-morning, she was interrupted by Merina's firm hand on her shoulder.

"You have a visitor," She said curtly, motioning to the entrance before walking away. A small figure stood beside one of the large columns, hidden in an oversized cloak. She walked over to it, and as she approached, she saw that it was Padmé. Abruptly she took her to the hallway, and checked that it was clear.

"Padmé, what are you doing here? You know it's dangerous for you to be here – what if you're recognized? Is everything alright?" Her voice was full of concern.

"I know I shouldn't be here…I just needed to get out of the apartment. I'm going crazy, wondering when he'll get home. I tried to get some rest, since I got very little sleep last night, but I couldn't stop thinking about him. I needed to get out, and I had no where else to go." Her eyes were desperate and she frantically searched Odessa's face for a response. Odessa sighed and looked around briefly before turning back to her friend.

"Padmé, you need to calm down. He'll be back soon, but he probably won't be able to come to you until at least the late afternoon, since he'll be held up with the council and most likely the senate. Don't worry, you'll see him soon enough," she whispered. Against her better judgment, she used the force to calm Padmé's obviously fried nerves, and the effect was instantaneous. She visibly relaxed, the worry lines on her face fading away and her grip on Odessa's arm loosening. She hugged Odessa lightly, then stepped back.

"You're right, of course. I shouldn't have come, it could only endanger An…er, him, and I don't want to do that. I'm sorry to have bothered you, 'Dessa. I'll send you a message tomorrow, letting you know how everything went. Thank you for everything." She hugged her once more, and hurried out of the temple. A surge of compassion for the woman shot through her body as she watched Padmé leave, knowing that she would have been no better if she had been in the same position. Just because she knew how to curb her emotions didn't mean she had lost them completely, and every reunion with her husband had worked her up at least as much, if not more than Padmé. She hoped that the Jedi would return soon, for Padmé's sake.

Returning to the library, Merina cast her a disapproving look as she sat at her desk. She kept her face blank as she continued her work, but she could feel the woman's eyes on her for quite a long time after she had resumed working. At last the clock announced that it was lunchtime, and Odessa made her way to the cafeteria. She noticed that none of the Masters were present, which led her to believe that Anakin and Obi-Wan had returned, and were meeting with the council. She hurriedly ate a sandwich, then made her way to the council's meeting rooms, trying to appear nonchalant. Glancing inside, she saw Anakin standing beside a large hologram table, pointing out different elements of the battle. Obi-Wan stood beside him, arms folded behind his back as Anakin spoke. She couldn't hear what Anakin was saying over the noise in the hallway, so she stepped a bit closer to the doorway, trying to appear interested in something other than the meeting taking place. Her motions caught Obi-Wan's eye, and he glanced over at her. His face was unreadable as their eyes met, and she cast him a small smile, then hurried back to the library. Embarrassed at being caught, she once again buried herself in her work. Anakin entered the library approximately an hour later, and was at once surrounded by younglings, all asking him to recount his exploits in the outer rim. She watched him thoughtfully for a moment, and noticed that her time with the younglings would be postponed today, since a far more suitable teacher had appeared. She knew that, were she a youngling herself, she would have much rather listened to Anakin than a failed Jedi any day of the week. Had she had the option, she would have joined them in their discussions with Anakin. Instead, she continued her work, until she felt the distinct stare of a pair of familiar turquoise eyes on her.

"Eager to know how the battle went, Ms. Sinthea?" Obi-Wan asked. She looked up, and saw him smiling. She smiled back, then quickly saved her progress.

"Master Kenobi, it's wonderful to see that you have returned safely. Forgive me for intruding on your meeting; it was not my place. I am deeply sorry if I interrupted anything," she replied, standing.

"You did nothing of the sort. I daresay the rest of the council was far too enthralled in Anakin's report to notice your presence. I was wondering if you had a few moments to spare?"

"Of course, Master Kenobi. May I help you with something?" She came to his side, and he examined her face once more. This time, she felt no use of the force against her, only curiosity.

"Walk with me, Ms. Sinthea." They started walking around the expansive library. Once they reached a relatively empty area, Obi-Wan pulled a small hologram projector from his robes and held it out for her. She took it, and watched as a miniature version of a battle appeared in the air in front of her. They watched it in silence for a few moments before Obi-Wan spoke up.

"Does it look familiar?"

"Well, other than the lack of fighters being rapidly demolished by the ships, I'd say it's practically identical to the battle we analyzed before you left." Smiling, she looked over at him. He was studying her with an expression of gratitude on his face.

"We couldn't have made it without you. The fighters were eager to begin the battle, and without the knowledge of the Rattataki that you provided, they would have charged headlong into the masses of ship, and been overrun. Anakin had something of a knack for finding the main ship – nearly every time he was able to pinpoint it right away. Our losses were minimal. The reason it took so long was that the army was massive, and it took quite a bit of time to knock them all down. Once the battles were over, we spoke with the Rattataki, and they have agreed to not interfere with the Republic, as long as we don't interfere with them. I think that's a fair agreement, considering they realize that we could demolish their army faster than they could say 'starfighter.' So thank you for your insight into the battle. Many of our fighters, if not our entire fleet, owes our lives to you." His eyes were full of sincerity, without a touch of the disappointment she had seen in them three months ago.

"I'm just grateful that I can still be of use to the Jedi. Though I must admit, I was anxious to know how you had fared and if I had been at all correct – it wouldn't do for an archivist to be completely useless about the battles she's supposed to be the expert on." She smiled warmly, and they continued walking. Obi-Wan gave her a blow-by-blow account of the battles, and they discussed different strategies for each different situation the fleet had found themselves in. An hour passed as the two wandered the library, until an annoyed-looking Merina appeared in front of them.

"Forgive me, Master Kenobi, but I believe Ms. Sinthea has had enough visitors today," She said in a terse voice.

"My deepest apologies for depriving you of your archivist, Madam Orven. Ms. Sinthea, shall we continue our conversation tomorrow, perhaps at lunchtime?" He held out his hand.

"Lunch will be wonderful. Thank you for telling me how the battle went." She took his hand, and he shook it warmly. He headed for the entrance, and she turned to Merina with an apologetic look.

"I'm terribly sorry, Merina. I assure you it won't happen again." The woman sniffed disapprovingly.

"While I appreciate and admire the work you do, Odessa, I would like to remind you that you are an employee of this establishment, not a member. Do not forget your place." She walked off, leaving Odessa stung.

She had stayed two extra hours that evening, to prove that she was indeed grateful for her position at the temple. When she arrived home, she couldn't think of a part of her body that didn't ache. Her fingers were sore from rapid typing, her head ached from studying endless battles, and to top it all off, her child had been rather active in the afternoon, kicking and pressing into her diaphragm incessantly. She was grateful for the chance to get to bed early, though it was strange to not see Padmé for dinner. She hoped that her friend was enjoying the time she had with her husband, however short it may be. She settled down to sleep shortly after returning home, her thoughts swirling with Obi-Wan's stories of the battle and Merina's stabbing comments.

She woke the next morning as gentle pink hues kissed the horizon. Even the never-sleeping planet seemed groggy at this time of the morning, when the cloak of darkness was gently being pulled away. Odessa took a moment to take in the beauty of the tall metal structures as they began to reflect morning's first light, then proceeded with her daily exercises. Begrudgingly she forced down some food, her stomach churning as she did so. She showered and dressed quickly, then made her way to the temple. It was eerily empty so early in the morning, but she welcomed the solitude. It helped her focus and push any thoughts of the previous day from her mind. When Merina arrived at the library an hour and a half later, Odessa had already completed the battle she had been working on the day before, and was already furiously typing out details of the next. If Merina noticed her hard work and dedication, she didn't mention it.

Early in the morning she received a brief message from an elated Padmé gushing about her time with Anakin. She apologized for not being able to meet with her, but she hoped that she understood, and that she would see her again soon. Odessa was glad that her friend was so happy, and was making the most of the time they had together. Continuing with her work, she found herself getting distracted as noon loomed closer. As hard as she tried to concentrate, she found herself glancing at the clock every five minutes. Promptly at noon, Obi-Wan appeared at her desk. He smiled at her as she greeted him warmly, and they made their way to the cafeteria. They spent a glorious hour discussing all sorts of battle plans and strategies, neither able to eat much through the conversation. The time went by too quickly, and as they departed, Obi-Wan turned to her.

"May I meet you again tomorrow at the same time?" he asked her.

"Of course, Master Kenobi. I'll need someone to bounce my ideas off of, and to tell me if I'm completely off the wall about something," she said, smiling. He shook her hand once more, and left.

Returning to her work, she found herself thinking of different strategies to discuss with Obi-Wan, recalling the particularly influential battles and the disastrous ones that definitely needed better planning. By the time she left for the evening, she had a list of more than a dozen battles that she wanted to discuss in depth with him. She relaxed for a bit once she returned home, then performed her exercises once more before going to bed.

Obi-Wan and Anakin stayed for a week. Every day, precisely at noon, Obi-Wan would appear at her desk, and they would discuss battle strategy in every possible form, debating on the effectiveness and the choice of one over another. She had had many discussions similar to the ones with Obi-Wan with her own master, and being able to resume the intellectual debates did wonders for her mood. Yet Obi-Wan's favored style was much similar to that of her husband's, with complicated maneuvers that got the job done as quickly as possible. Speaking with him made her feel as though she was back with her master and her husband in the Outer Rim, and while she welcomed the memories, Merina's comment to her kept echoing in her mind. As wonderful as it was to help the Jedi with their battle strategy, she needed to realize that she was no longer a Jedi.

The younglings were eager to know what she had been discussing with Master Kenobi. She explained to them the basics, trying to instill a good grasp of tactics into their eager young minds. She spent far longer with them than she had planned on, but a stern look from the librarian got her to wrap things up quickly. They were always sad to see her leave, but she promised them that she would always be there to answer any questions they had, or to discuss any ideas they came up with.

The last day of Obi-Wan and Anakin's stay was a somber one. Odessa and Obi-Wan met at noon, as usual, but he just told her about the mission he was going on, and what he thought they would encounter. She gave him what few tips she could on where he was going and whom he was dealing with, but it wasn't anything that they hadn't discussed in depth previously. As their hour drew to a close, Odessa met his eyes with a small smile.

"If it's not a burden on you, I'd like to know when you've returned safely. I wish you the best of luck, though I know you don't need it," she said tentatively, hoping she wasn't asking too much of him. He only smiled.

"Of course I'll let you know. Who else would relish in the stories of my exploits, if not you? I must say I've quite enjoyed our time, and look forward to being able to speak with you in the future," he told her. They stood, and walked to the exit. As they parted ways, Odessa turned to him.

"The force be with you, Master Kenobi," she said formally.

"And you, Ms. Sinthea." He grasped her hand firmly, and left.

Watching him leave, a strange surge of emotion flooded her body. The budding friendship forming between them confused her slightly – on one hand, she enjoyed talking to him more than most people, but she knew that, in his eyes, she was possibly the worst failure imaginable. True, he hadn't mentioned it in their meetings at all, but the memories of their first meeting still lingered in her mind. His opinion of her had obviously grown once he saw that she was a capable strategist, but other than that, she had very little idea of what he thought of her. She was impressed with him, and grateful that he chose to speak with her, but she knew very little of him as a person. He rarely revealed anything personal about himself, and tended to steer away from such discussions. He perplexed her, and that bothered her just a bit. She hoped that, once he returned, she could find out more about Obi-Wan Kenobi, the person.

The afternoon dragged along, but finally she was able to leave. There were many thoughts she wanted to sort out; many things she wanted to think about. Yet as she approached her apartment, she realized that those things would have to wait. For sitting against the door was the small form of Padmé, looking up at her with tear-filled eyes. She pulled her friend into a tight hug, and let her into the apartment.

Reviews!

Once again, thank you all for reading and reviewing – it made my day every time I got a review )

WhatsGoingOn – I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Mirielle – I loved your review! Absolutely loved it! I know that my story isn't going to mesh with the books – I'm really just aiming to have it mesh with the movies. Let me respond to some of your comments:

Commander Solo – Let's just say that, at the time, he didn't know if he was related to Han or not ). The thought hadn't occurred to him.

Secrets of the Jedi – Sounds good, I'll have to check it out at some point.

Mace – Maybe the flash of emotion was because she didn't get a stricter punishment?

Jocasta Nu – Er…maybe she wanted an assistant? Or she retired? I really liked this job for Odessa, and I didn't do enough research on the position, apparently. I'm sorry about that. I think I'll imagine Jocasta Nu on some peaceful, sandy beach, having Odessa do all the dirty work ).

Considered a Jedi – Yeah, this needs clarification. What I meant by this was that she wasn't being banished and forced to forget everything she had spent her entire life training for…of course she's not still a Jedi.

Families – What I imagine this to be is that, when she was really young (3 or so), she was about to be taken to be trained, and then there was some sort of attack where lots of families were killed. All of the children were kept together during the aftermath, and that's where she met her husband. She was still taken shortly after, but since the experience was so traumatic, she remembered it very clearly, including the young boy who was by her side the whole time. She returned to her home planet at some point, and by chance they met again, and he took to tagging along behind her as some sort of bodyguard.

Obi-Wan – I'm really, really happy that you like my description of him. A big part of my story is going to be about how he realizes that there's more to life than being a Jedi, and the conflict he feels with these new ideas and the Jedi code that he has followed his entire life. Obviously you can tell that he's going to betray part of that code, since this story is a romance ).

And who _isn't _a fan of Ender's game! It's one of the best stories out there!

I don't mind your comments at all! They're very welcome here! The only thing I don't like are flames, and I can tell you're not the type of person to do that. Please comment more! )

Rachel Sparrow – Thanks for reading! I'm glad you like it so far!

Darkvampirewitch – Shh! No one's supposed to know that it's about Han yet! ;) Thanks for reading, and I'm glad you like it!


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own only Odessa and the Plot!

Responses to reviews below!

One line in here is inspired by my wonderful reviewer, Mirielle! I'm sure you'll find it!

Padmé wasn't as torn up about Anakin's departure as she had been the last time, but she was certainly upset. When she first entered Odessa's apartment, she seemed to be suffering silently, but once Odessa made her a steaming mug of coffee, she began to speak. Wistfully she told Odessa how they had spent every possible moment together, and it had been heavenly. Odessa listened patiently as her friend spoke of the short time with her husband, small tears crawling down her cheeks. She placed a comforting arm around Padmé as she recounted the precious events of the past week.

"'Dessa, I'm sorry I practically ignored you this entire week. It's just that when he's around, I can't think about anything but him. It does wonders for my political career, believe me. He just makes me feel so loved, so…complete. Still, that's no reason to ignore the one person who's helped me through the difficult times without him. And with your pregnancy, too! Something could have happened, and I wouldn't have even known about it; I was so caught up in my own little world. I promise, next time he's here, we'll all do something together, so you can meet him properly. I just hope you can forgive me." Her voice was so full of sincerity and emotion that had Odessa felt the slightest bit of anger towards her, it would have disappeared in an instant.

"Padmé, don't you worry for a second about me. I know how eager you were to see him, and I'm more than capable of keeping myself entertained. I'm just glad that you had such a wonderful time with Anakin. If I needed you, you would have heard from me. Everything was fine." She cast her friend a sincere smile, and Padmé visibly relaxed. Her tears had stopped, and she appeared to be in a much lighter mood.

"So, what did you do to entertain yourself while I was distracted by my charming husband?" she asked jokingly.

"Well, apparently I wasn't the only one who was neglected," Odessa joked. "A certain Master Kenobi came to me the day they returned to thank me for the advice I gave him regarding the battles, and we spent every lunch hour thereafter discussing battle strategies and whatnot. It was quite exhilarating, actually, to be able to discuss Jedi tactics again. And Master Kenobi is a wonderful person to talk to - he has very interesting ideas of his own, and we got into some rather heated debates. The mission they're on now shouldn't be dangerous, but it will be long – a few months, at least. I asked Master Kenobi to let me know when he returns safely, so I won't have to eavesdrop the next time they're returning. Needless to say, Merina wasn't terribly fond of all the time I was spending with the Jedi, but it was still a thoroughly enjoyable week."

"Obi-Wan has always been very kind to me. He looks for the best in people, so it's no wonder he was drawn to you – there's no part of you that wouldn't intrigue him. I get the impression he sees Anakin as a bit too inexperienced to really discuss strategy with him on their free time, though. Obi-Wan's always treated Anakin as a son, and I think he may not see how much he's really grown," Padmé replied.

"Master Kenobi is very fond of Anakin. He just worries that he may be a bit headstrong, and too eager to move ahead without truly being ready," Odessa said apologetically.

"Oh, he's always thought that," Padmé said, then told Odessa the story of when Anakin felt that Obi-Wan was holding him back when they visited Tattooine to find his mother. Odessa listened patiently, but as the story progressed, she couldn't help but agree with Obi-Wan. Of course, she appeared sympathetic towards Padmé, who seemed very concerned that Anakin wasn't living up to his full potential. As she neared the end of her story, Padmé let out a barely suppressible yawn.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, 'Dessa!" she exclaimed, embarrassed. Odessa only smiled at her, then stood.

"I'm sure you've had an exhausting week. Go on home, get some rest, and I'll see you tomorrow." Padmé flashed her a sleepy smile and left. Odessa started at the door for a few moments after her friend disappeared. She felt torn. Her times with Obi-Wan had been wonderful, but she couldn't help feeling that, by agreeing with his ideas on his apprentice, she was somehow betraying her friend. She prepared for bed, lost in thought. Her dreams were haunted with images of her master, her husband, and, most disturbingly, Obi-Wan's eyes as they parted ways.

The next few weeks passed uneventfully. Merina was pleased that Odessa was once more dedicated to her work, with no other engagements to pull her concentration away. Surprisingly, Odessa found her work slightly boring, without anyone to discuss it with. She took to jotting down notes on anything that she wanted to discuss with him once he returned, and had amassed more than twenty pages by a month after he had left. Every evening had been spent with Padmé, discussing Odessa's rapidly approaching child and how to care for the baby. Padmé was a wealth of information, and Odessa took in as much as she could. Still, the prospect of having a child frightened her. She knew that Padmé would be there to support her, but it wouldn't be anywhere close to having her husband with her.

Her stomach continued to grow, and she developed an unbecoming waddle that she tried to hide as much as possible. Still, the younglings found it amusing, and even Padmé would giggle at it, even though she was very apologetic afterwards. It became very uncomfortable to perform her morning exercises with swollen ankles and no waist, so she took to tidying up the study to convert it to a nursery. Her work was becoming exhausting as well, as she couldn't sit for more than half an hour without needed to rush to the bathroom. Her progress slowed considerably, but at least Merina didn't chastise her for it. It wasn't as if she could really control her child's growth.

She returned home from a particularly exhausting day of work about a month and a half after Obi-Wan had left, and had the immediate sense that something was out of place. On her guard, she reached for the door of her apartment, and it swung open. Inside, she saw Threepio busily preparing in the kitchen while Padmé was fidgeting with some large, brightly wrapped presents in the center of her living room. She turned to Odessa.

"Surprise!" she said, smiling. She came over to Odessa and hugged her. Odessa shot her a perplexed look, and she laughed. "I wanted to throw you a baby shower! I know you've been trying to prepare for your baby, but it's absolutely essential to have a baby shower, in order to complete the experience! Now come sit down and open your presents, you look absolutely exhausted."

Odessa smiled at her friend as a wave of gratitude washed over her. No one had ever done something like this for her before – she'd always been too busy trying to save the galaxy to have time for parties and celebrations. Making her way to the couch, she sat heavily and reached for a gift. Padmé batted her hand away.

"You're the main event here! You just sit back and relax, and I'll get the gifts for you. You don't need to raise a finger," she said excitedly. Odessa smiled and sat back. Padmé started handing her gifts to open, and Odessa soon saw that her friend had really gone on a shopping spree. She had gotten her mountains of diapers, enough bibs to last her a month without doing laundry, bottles, blankets, pictures, and toys galore. On top of it all was a small wicker basinet that Odessa could keep right in her room, and a sturdy wooden crib for when the baby got a bit older. She was overwhelmed. So much of what Padmé had purchased she wouldn't have even thought to buy, and she couldn't be more thankful to have her as part of her life. She looked up at her friend, who was beaming at her.

"Padmé, this is too much. Thank you so much for it all, but please let me pay you back for some of it," she said, teary-eyed.

"Nonsense. I've got more than enough money, and I can't think of a better way to spend it. You've done so much for me, even if you don't see it, and since this is an area that I can help you in, I figured that there wouldn't be a better way for me to say thank you. Now, let's go eat, then we'll set up the baby's room." Odessa reached over and hugged Padmé tightly, then struggled to get up. They made their way to the table, where Threepio had prepared a delicious five-course meal. As they ate, Padmé chattered on about the ideas she had for setting up the room, and her escapades purchasing everything she had. Odessa listened silently, too grateful to speak. Once they had both eaten their fill, they started carrying the gifts into the now barren study. Padmé and Threepio moved the crib into the nursery and the basinet into the bedroom as Odessa began to arrange things in the room. A few tiring hours later, both women were about to collapse, but Odessa had a perfect nursery. Looking around the room, she couldn't have imagined doing it all by herself. It was truly a miracle. She turned to Padmé, who looked like she was about to drop.

"Thank you so much for everything. You have no idea how much it means to me. You look exhausted – do you want to stay here for the night, and go home in the morning?"

Padmé cast her a smile, but her face was weary. Stifling a yawn, she stretched her sore limbs.

"I'd love to stay, but don't even think of offering your bedroom. I'll sleep on the couch. You worked just as hard as I, and with that baby of yours to carry around on top of things. I'll be perfectly fine here. Now go get some rest." Padmé sat on the couch and let her hair down, gently combing through it with her fingers. Odessa brought her a blanket and some pillows. Padmé sleepily thanked her, and Odessa went into her bedroom. She was asleep in minutes.

The next morning came too soon, but Odessa sleepily rose at the same hour she always did. She walked into the new nursery, where faint rays of sunlight were just beginning to peek in through the curtained windows. The room seemed so peaceful, sweetly decorated for the child that would soon inhabit its walls. Small stuffed toys were placed on every available ledge, and a mobile of small metallic orbs swung gently over the crib. The desk in the corner had been transformed into a changing table, covered with a thick pad and a neat stack of diapers placed to one side. The room had a very calming effect on her, and suddenly the thought of having a child didn't seem so daunting.

"Well, doesn't this place just look perfect?" Padmé's voice sounded from the doorway. Odessa turned, and saw her friend still in a sleepy haze. Her hair was in a frizzy halo around her delicate face, and her clothes, normally so pristine, were a bit wrinkled. She smiled at Odessa as she entered the room.

"I can never thank you enough for all of this, Padmé. I would never have been able to do it without you." Odessa voice was full of gratitude, and Padmé hugged her.

"Just let me know when the little one gets here, because then I'll never leave. I love taking care of babies," she replied. "I should head back and get straightened up – there's a meeting of the senate today, and I don't think they'd appreciate me coming in as disheveled as I am. Thank you for letting me stay here."

Odessa smiled and walked her to the door. Threepio noticed their movement, and hurriedly made his way to his mistress's side. He opened the door for her, and she turned to Odessa.

"I'll see you tonight?" she asked.

"Of course," Odessa replied, smiling.

Once Padmé and Threepio had left, she got herself ready for work. The stress of having her child had momentarily disappeared, and for the first time in a while, she felt relaxed. She made her way to the temple and continued with her work, in no particular hurry. She tried to clear her mind of any desires and emotions that she had been carrying around, and was surprised to see that she could still accomplish it with very little resistance. The day seemed to fly by as she worked steadily, and she returned home. She freshened up and headed over to Padmé's apartment, where they enjoyed a quiet dinner discussing Padmé's meeting with the senate. Padmé expressed her concern over the amount of power the chancellor seemed to have, and how his power over the senate only seemed to be growing.

"Well, there have been rumors that a dark lord of the Sith is in power of the senate. I'm not suggesting that Chancellor Palpatine is a Sith Lord himself, but perhaps he is being influenced by one?" Odessa asked.

"No, I don't think so. Anakin is very close to the Chancellor, and he would have told me if that were the case. Or, if not me, at least the Jedi council. Surely a Jedi like Anakin would know if the chancellor was being influenced by a Sith, no? No, I think it's just a case of greed and lust for power. I care for Chancellor Palpatine – he has always supported me in everything that I've wanted to do for Naboo – but I do fear that the power of his position has gone to his head," Padmé answered thoughtfully. They ate in silence for a bit, then Padmé continued on with her discussion of the happenings of the senate. They spoke for a few hours, then Odessa bade her farewell. She returned home and fell into a dreamless sleep.

The next month passed rather uneventfully. Odessa's baby kept growing, and it was soon extremely uncomfortable to reach her computer at work. Still she struggled through it, knowing Merina would be extremely upset if she didn't seem dedicated to her work. Odessa was disgusted at her fitness level, as she would be completely winded by the time she reached the top of a flight of stairs. Padmé tried to explain to her that it had nothing to do with her, that the baby was pressing against her lungs, but it did little to help Odessa's mood.

One particularly uncomfortable morning, as Odessa sat in an awkward positing to relieve her back pains and analyze the battles at the same time, Mace Windu came to visit her. He cleared his throat roughly. She looked up at him, and saw extreme contempt in his eyes as he looked at her.

"Ms. Sinthea, Master Kenobi requested that I tell you that he and his apprentice have succeeded on their mission, and will be returning to Coruscant shortly," he said curtly, and turned to leave.

"Thank you, Master Windu," she replied, struggling to stand. "When will they be back?"

He turned back to her. Gazing at her with a mixture of disdain and disgust on his face, he paused a moment before answering.

"Not that it should be a matter of yours, but they will be returning within the week. No doubt he will seek you out, for some reason that I cannot comprehend. He seemed rather interested in talking with you during his last stay here."

She smiled weakly at him, but it was not returned. Her smile faded. "Thank you for the information, Master Windu," she said formally. He left, without another word to her. She sat back down, wishing she had the strength and position to be able to tell him how absolutely awfully he was acting towards her. Of course, he wouldn't listen to her, but perhaps she could bring it up with Obi-Wan. The familiar twinge of excitement started to grow in her at Obi-Wan's impending arrival. She tried to tell herself that he may have changed his mind about her, that he may feel the same way Master Windu felt, but she couldn't make it go away. She spent a few moments to clear her mind, and was able to calm down enough to finish the day. Seeing Padmé was another matter. She knew her friend would be ecstatic about the news, but she wasn't sure if she had the strength to stay up to all hours chatting with her. She knew that she had to try, though, since her friend had done so much for her.

She made her way to Padmé's apartment, and gently knocked on the door. Threepio answered, and let her in. Padmé was preparing a meal in the kitchen, and greeted Odessa merrily. They sat down to eat, and with a bit of reluctance that Odessa was able to cover with over-exaggerated excitement, she told Padmé the news. Her friend was understandably elated, and it still warmed her heart to see her friend so happy. She seemed to glow whenever she was looking forward to seeing Anakin, in a sweetly childish way. Luckily for Odessa, Padmé seemed just as tired as she felt, so they didn't stay up very late. That evening, Odessa's dreams were haunted once again by Obi-Wan's turquoise eyes. They seemed to be searching for her, but she wasn't sure why.

She woke the next morning, very achy. He stomach felt stretched to its absolute limit, and she hoped that it wouldn't be long before her child was born. With much effort, she pulled herself out of bed and groggily prepared for the day. Her mind cleared a bit as she arrived at work, but she still felt as if she were in a pain-induced stupor. Shortly after lunch, she was snapped back to reality by a gentle voice.

"Immersed in your work again, I see," Obi-Wan said. Her head snapped up, and all memories of the pain she was feeling diminished as she saw him. Struggling to stand, she smiled happily at him.

"Master Kenobi! It's wonderful to see you back so soon! Master Windu told me to expect you sometime within the week, but I didn't expect you here yet. Congratulations on a successful mission!" she said to him excitedly. He smiled serenely at her.

"I have much to tell you. Some of the battles we had talked about previously didn't go as we thought – apparently some of our enemies have learned from their past mistakes. For instance -" Odessa silenced him with a wave of her hand as she noticed Merina's stern gaze. He looked at her questioningly.

"Master Kenobi, I would like nothing more than to discuss this with you, but perhaps we can discuss it over dinner? I fear that our dear Madam Orven will have my head on a platter if I'm distracted by you once more," she said apologetically. "If it's alright with you, I can prepare something for around seven o'clock? Here's my address, and please let me know if there's anything I can do to help you in the library." She jotted something down on a spare slip of paper, and he read it carefully before tucking it away.

"Until this evening, then," he said to her, smiling. She returned the smile, and he wandered off into the library, greeting Merina kindly as she cast him a disapproving look. Odessa couldn't hear what she was saying, but she had the impression that she was chastising him for distracting her archivist once again. Seemingly unfazed, he exited the library, with one more smile in Odessa's direction.

The rest of the day seemed to creep along. What was she thinking, inviting him to dinner? Of course Padmé would be otherwise occupied, but she wasn't really prepared to have guests over. While she was a reasonably neat person, she hadn't been able to dust or straighten up as much as normal, so she would have to do that before he arrived. She considered asking Padmé if she could borrow Threepio for a bit of extra help, but decided against it. Obi-Wan would probably recognize the protocol droid, and she didn't want to reveal her friendship with Padmé to the Jedi Master yet. She sent her friend a rushed message explaining that she had made plans for the evening, but she figured that she would be preoccupied anyway. When the time came for her to leave, she rushed home as quickly as possible. Returning to her apartment, she was grateful to see that it wasn't as messy as she had imagined, and after about fifteen minutes, she was satisfied with the work. She then prepared a quick but elegant meal, and as soon as it was in the oven, she went to change.

She stood in front of her closet, unsure of what to wear. She didn't want to appear too formal, yet she didn't want to look sloppy. Finally she decided on a simple blue dress. It accentuated her stomach a bit more than she liked, but it would do. Quickly fastening her hair into a neat bun, she returned to the kitchen. Setting the table, she checked the clock – it was ten minutes before Obi-Wan was supposed to arrive. She took the meal out of the oven, and paced the kitchen as it cooled, aimlessly straightening her appliances as she waited for him to arrive. Promptly at seven, the doorbell rang.

She opened the door, and there was Obi-Wan, in his traditional Jedi garb. In his hands he held a loaf of freshly baked bread. She smiled at him, and held the door open.

"Good evening, Master Kenobi. I'm glad to see you made it here without any trouble," she said warmly.

"Please, Ms. Sinthea, I do believe that once we are away from the temple, informal names will suffice. You may call me Obi-Wan." He looked at her with an expression she couldn't place, but he was certainly happy to see her. He handed her the loaf of bread and looked around the apartment. She placed it on the table, then turned to him.

"Well then, you must call me Odessa. Whenever I hear someone call me Ms. Sinthea, I feel like I've gotten into trouble." He smiled at her. "Please come sit, and you can tell me of your exploits as we eat."

They sat at her small table and began to eat. Obi-Wan started telling her about his first battles, when a sharp pain ripped through her stomach, causing her to cry out. She felt a distinct wetness between her legs, and looked up at Obi-Wan, embarrassed.

"Well, this is certainly inconvenient. Master Ke- I mean, Obi-Wan, I believe that my child is on its way," she said breathlessly, flashing him an embarrassed smile. Another sharp pain ripped through her body, and she grimaced. Obi-Wan jumped up, and pulled her out of her seat.

"We'd better get you to the hospital. Can you walk?" He said, his voice full of concern.

"Yes, I think so. Oh, I'm sorry about this, Obi-Wan," she said apologetically. She took a few tentative steps, but practically collapsed as another sharp pain shot through her body. He quickly grabbed her arm, and supported her as they walked to the door. With a wave of his hand it opened, and he hurriedly pulled her through. The door shut behind them, and locked.

"Wait! All of my things…I'll need some sort of identification…" her breathy voice trailed off.

"Where are they?" He asked her.

"In the bedroom…a small leather pouch on my bed…" He rushed back into the apartment as she supported herself shakily on the wall. He was back within seconds, and slipped his arm gently but firmly behind her back as he escorted her to his speeder. Once he fastened her in safely, he jumped into the driver's seat and sped off. They were at the hospital within minutes, but they felt like hours and wave after wave of pain coursed through her body. She could vaguely hear Obi-Wan speaking to her, but whatever he said wasn't getting through. They arrived, and she felt him lifting her out of the vehicle. She tried to protest, but was too weak for her protests to have any effect. Obi-Wan brought her to the reception droid.

"She's in labor," he said anxiously. The droid looked at him blankly.

"Does she have identification?" it asked in a tinny voice. Obi-Wan gently placed her into one of the seats in the lobby, and sorted through her pouch until he found her identification card. The droid took it and read the information as two more droids approached Odessa.

"Are you the father?" the droid asked. Obi-Wan cast it an incredulous look.

"No, I am not," he replied. The two new droids had placed Odessa on a stretcher, and were about to take her back.

"You'll need to wait back here until she's free to have visitors," the droid said flatly.

"No…please…let him come…I don't want to be…alone," came Odessa's faint voice. He rushed to her side.

"Very well. Take her to Room D." The two droids quickly escorted them to a fairly small examination room, and placed her on the bed.

"The doctor will arrive shortly," one droid said as the other hooked her up to an IV. They left as soon as their work was complete. Obi-Wan took a seat next to Odessa, and gingerly held her hand. Her forehead was covered with beads of sweat, and her face was unhealthily pale.

"How are you feeling?" he asked softly. She opened her eyes long enough to shoot him a proper glare, then spoke.

"How do you think I'm feeling? Please, just continue with the stories of your mission – it will take my mind off of the situation," she said as firmly as possible. Obi-Wan admired her strength, and smiled. He began to speak to her, telling her of each battle he encountered. His voice was soothing to her, and he felt her trembling lessen. A medical droid entered the room and prepared her to deliver the baby. Obi-Wan stood next to her, never letting go of her hand. She was soon gripping it tightly as she pushed her child out of her body, and Obi-Wan whispered words of encouragement to her. Two exhausting hours later, the medic droid looked up.

"Congratulations, you have a baby boy." It bundled up the small baby in a soft blanket, and handed him to Obi-Wan. Gently letting go of Odessa's hand, he took the baby in his arms. His pink face was scrunched up and his tiny hands were balled into tight fists. Obi-Wan placed him in Odessa's arms. She smiled down at the tiny child in her arms, as a small tear trailed down her cheek.

"He's so beautiful," Odessa whispered. "He…he looks like his father, just a bit. His nose, and his ears. I wish I could see his eyes." She ran a finger over his cheek.

"So what are you going to name him?" Obi-Wan asked. She looked up at him, then down at her child.

"I think…Han. I've always liked that name." Obi-Wan gently took the boy from Odessa and held him up. He spent a few moments studying the baby's face.

"Han Sinthea – it suits him well." He looked over at Odessa, who smiled and shook her head.

"No, he will have his father's last name. This little boy here is Han Solo." She reached for him, and Obi-Wan returned him to her arms. She yawned hugely, and Obi-Wan smiled at her.

"I can imagine you're exhausted. I'll go find one of the medical droids, and see if you're free to go," Obi-Wan said, and headed for the door. Just as he reached it, a droid entered.

"Ms. Sinthea, we would like you to stay here for a couple of days, to ensure that you and your child are healthy. We're going to move you somewhere a bit more comfortable, where you can keep your child with you," it said. Odessa handed her baby to the droid as she struggled to get out of the bed. Obi-Wan was by her side instantly, lifting her out of the bed with ease and placing her into a wheelchair. The droid returned Han to her and led them all to a much larger room, with a simple bed and a small crib. Obi-Wan placed Han into the crib before helping her into the bed. His face was still full of concern.

"I can't stay long, but I promise I will return tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, get some rest. No doubt both you and Han need it," He said to her as the droid left. She smiled weakly at him.

"Thank you so much for everything, Obi-Wan. I'm sorry to have taken up your entire evening," she said.

"Nonsense. There's nowhere else I would have preferred to be. Now get some rest, and I'll be here in the morning. Rest well, Odessa." He made sure she was comfortably in bed before leaving.

When she woke the next morning, sunlight was streaming through her window, and Han was missing from his crib. In a panic, she tried to spring out of bed, but found that her muscles were still far too sore for such movement. Wincing, she turned towards the door, and saw Obi-Wan sitting beside her bed.

"Well, it's about time you woke up," he said teasingly. The sight of him had calmed her a bit, and she sat back in bed. Surely if there was something wrong with her child, he wouldn't be trying to lighten her spirits.

"Do you know where Han is?" she asked immediately. He smiled.

"Well, good morning to you, too. Don't worry, Han is fine. One of the medical droids came in to do some tests on him a few moments ago, but I sent them out so they wouldn't wake you. Apparently I needn't have worried, though – from what they told me, your little boy was causing quite a racket in the middle of the night, and you slept through it all. But I think that may have been due to the drugs they gave you. From what I hear, you lost quite a bit of blood in the delivery. They were worried you wouldn't pull through. Had I known that, I would have stayed." His voice had grown serious, and a few lines of worry had formed between his eyes.

"Well, I feel alright now. A little banged up, perhaps, but nothing that won't heal in a few days," she replied. "Oh dear! What time is it? I need to let Merina know that I won't be in – she'll skin me alive if she thinks I'm just lounging around- " she was cut off by Obi-Wan laughing.

"Odessa, I stopped by the library before I arrived here, and let her know what had happened. You can imagine how pleased she was to hear it from me, on top of everything. But she understands that the whole reason you're working for her is because of Han, so of course she wasn't terribly upset. A bit miffed, perhaps, but not upset." His turquoise eyes still glittered with laughter. Relaxing, Odessa stretched against the back of her bed. Just then, the door opened, and a droid carrying a whimpering Han entered.

"Oh good, mom is awake now. The baby – Han, is it? Your friend here told me – is perfectly healthy, but a bit hungry. However, we want to keep the two of you here while you're recuperating. As you might have heard from your friend, you weren't looking all that good last night. But you seem to have healed up quite nicely," the droid told her. It placed Han in her arms, and he settled down immediately. She held him close, and noticed that at some point during the night she had been changed into a hospital gown. The droid left, and Odessa gently rocked the baby in her arms, admiring his perfect little features. Large dark blue eyes looked up at her serenely, framed with dark lashes and adorably pudgy cheeks. He started fussing, and Obi-Wan respectfully turned away as she brought him to her breast.

"So, do you like being a mother so far?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Well, I haven't had to change any diapers or clean up any spit-up, so, so far, I can't complain," she said happily. "He's just so…perfect. I never imagined that I could love someone so strongly and so quickly. I didn't even feel this strongly for my husband, and believe me, our bond was the tightest I'd ever felt in my life."

"How did you meet your husband?"

"It's quite a story, actually. We were children together on Corellia, before I was taken to the Jedi Temple. The details are quite fuzzy, but from what I recall, there was an attack, and many adults were killed, including the parents of many children my age. The authorities brought all the children together, which is where I first met him. Neither of us were really sure what was going on, but he tried to comfort me and make me feel better, if you can imagine a three-year old boy trying to be comforting. It was very traumatic, so the memory of it never left me. By chance, some fifteen years later, my Master and I returned to Corellia, and we ran into each other again. He had become a hotshot pilot, and once we were reunited, he took to following me around, saying that the Jedi always got the best action. After one particularly close battle where I was nearly overrun, he outright proposed, saying that he couldn't imagine life without me. I knew that I felt the same way, regardless of my Jedi teachings, so of course I accepted. My Master appreciated his aid, so if he knew of our relationship, he stayed quiet. Our wedding was simple, with only one of his longtime friends as a witness. Still, I think it was the happiest day of my life, until now. You can turn around now."

Obi-Wan turned back to her, and saw her gently cradling Han in her arms. Her face was so full of emotion, it was hard to believe that she had any type of control over her feelings. Yet, in the short time he had gotten to know her, he saw that she was a strong, capable Jedi. While her life would be consumed with the child she now held in her arms, Obi-Wan could see that she would have made a wonderful Jedi.

"Unfortunately, I can't stay long. I must meet with the Jedi Council, but I will stop by in the evening to make sure everything is going well. Is there anything I can pick up for you?" He stood and made his way to the side of her bed.

"Yes, actually. At my desk in the library, you will find a stack of papers in the corner. They're notes I've taken on some of the battles I've recorded, and I wanted to discuss some of them with you. If you could get those for me, I'd be very grateful."

"Oh sure, send me in to see your lovely overseer. If I come out missing a few limbs, the blame will be entirely on you," he joked. He looked at Han, and touched a finger to his tiny nose.

"Now Han, take good care of Mom while I'm gone. I'm counting on you to make sure that she doesn't fall into any more drug-induced comas," he said in a mockingly formal tone. Han gurgled at him. Odessa smiled.

"Thank you again for all your help last night. I know it must be a hassle for you, what with everything else you need to get done," she told him. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Trust me, being in your company is far more enjoyable than anything else I could do here, even if I do have to drag you to the hospital. I will see you this evening." He squeezed her shoulder gently, and left. She laid back and placed Han on the pillow next to her, gently stroking the feather-light hairs on his head as he dropped of into sleep. She gently placed him into the small crib, and took a nap herself.

She woke up in the early afternoon, feeling quite refreshed. A sandwich and a few pieced of fruit had been placed next to her bed while she slept, and she realized how hungry she was. Han was awake, and she tickled his stomach as she ate. Obi-Wan had not yet returned, so she assumed that the Jedi Council was still in session. Hoping that Padmé was alone, she contacted her apartment.

Threepio answered, and greeted her warmly. She asked him if Padmé was in, and she appeared where he was.

"Odessa, are you alright? I tried to get a hold of you at your apartment last night after I received your message, but no one was there…of course, I was busy with Anakin, as you know, but you seemed a bit worried in your message, so I wanted to make sure everything was ok. Where are you?" Odessa smiled at her friend's chatter.

"Everything's fine, now. I'm at the hospital, and there's someone here I'd like you to meet," she said happily. Padmé gave a little squeak as a huge grin appeared on her face.

"Oh, I'll be right there! Let me just leave a note for Anakin, and I'll be right over! This is so exciting!" she exclaimed, and then the communicator went dark. Odessa reached over and gently picked up Han, who let out a little cry of complaint at being woken up. She rubbed his back, and he settled down. It appeared that the medical droids had stopped by once more, and changed him while she slept. He was swathed in a soft baby-blue blanket that made his eyes stand out even more against his pink skin. She rocked him as he stared up at her, wide-eyed. No more than ten minutes later, a breathless Padmé appeared in the doorway, carrying a bouquet of brightly colored flowers and a yellow teddy bear. She squeaked in excitement as she saw the tiny baby in Odessa's arms.

"I came as quickly as I could! You didn't say if it was a boy or a girl, but look at him! Oh he's just precious!" she exclaimed, placing the flowers on the bedside table. She held out her hands, and Odessa passed Han to her.

"Well hello there! I'm your auntie Padmé! Aren't you just the most adorable thing ever? Oh 'Dessa, he's perfect! What are you going to name him?"

"Han. And I'm giving him his father's last name, since he does look very much like him." Odessa replied, watching her friend gush over her baby. Padmé placed him in the crib, and tucked the teddy bear in beside him. Han seemed very interested in his new crib-mate, and turned his full attention to it.

"So tell me, what happened last night? What were you doing, and when was little Han here born?" Padmé asked. Odessa told her of her planned evening with Obi-Wan, and how she went into labor in the middle of dinner.

"It was quite embarrassing, but Obi-Wan stayed with me the whole time. He came by this morning, too, to make sure I was alright. Apparently I lost a lot of blood during the delivery, so they want me to stay here for a few days to make sure I heal up correctly. Obi-Wan said he would stop by again tonight to check on me. I'm so glad he was with me – I really don't know if I could have made it alone," she told Padmé.

"Oh, you could have. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. But I'm sure his presence did help – it's always nice to have someone for moral support. So, the two of you are on a first name basis, now?" Padmé asked teasingly.

"I don't think anyone could go through an experience like that without being on a first name basis afterwards." Odessa said to her friend, shooting her a playful glare. Padmé smiled, and walked over to Han's crib. He was asleep again; one tiny arm wrapped around the head of the teddy bear.

"He's so beautiful, 'Dessa. You're so lucky to have him," Padmé said wistfully. She ran a finger along his pudgy arm, then sat on the bed beside Odessa. "And how are you feeling?" she said, casting a concerned look in Odessa's direction.

"I'm fine. A bit weak and achy, perhaps, but nothing that I can't handle. The pain was definitely worth it. But enough about me – how are you and your beloved?" she replied. Padmé immediately gushed about how Anakin had completely caught her off guard and had a special meal prepared for the evening before. The two women talked for two hours, when a soft knock sounded on the door. It creaked open, and Obi-Wan stood outside.

"May I come in, or are you entertaining company?" he asked. Odessa glanced at Padmé nervously, but she seemed unfazed. She stood, and walked to the door.

"Obi-Wan! How lovely to see you!" she exclaimed, greeting him with a hug. "Odessa was just telling me how you helped her last night – that was very sweet of you. I actually need to run; I have an appointment at seven that I can't be late for. So I'll leave her in your capable hands. 'Dessa, let me know how you're feeling tomorrow!" She gave her friend a quick hug, and breezed out of the room. Puzzled, Obi-Wan shut the door behind her.

"Was it something I said?" he asked as he sat beside Odessa. She smiled at him.

"Oh, Padmé's always doing five things at once. She's always trying to keep herself busy," Odessa told him.

"Well, that's true. I've known her for quite some time. But more importantly, how are you doing? And how do you and Padmé know each other?" He looked at her curiously.

"I'm feeling much better. I took a nap earlier, and I'm almost as good as new now. Padmé and I live relatively close to one another, and we just started talking one day. We've been practically inseparable since. She's helped me quite a bit in preparing for Han – I'd probably be lost without her."

"Yes, she's a very caring individual. She likes helping those in need. She and Anakin have always been very close, and I've gotten the feeling that their relationship is only growing stronger. He's told me that he cares for her, and I constantly tell him to not let himself get attached, but you know those pesky apprentices. They never listen to their Masters." Odessa swallowed. It wasn't her place to alert Obi-Wan to his apprentice's extracurricular activities, no matter how dangerous they could turn out. And she didn't want to endanger Padmé or get Anakin exiled from the Jedi as she had been, so she remained silent.

"Has she ever mentioned Anakin to you?" He asked suspiciously.

"Only that they're friends." Odessa's voice was calm, but if Obi-Wan had pried at all, he would have known that she was hiding something. If he did, he didn't mention it. Instead, he stood, and took a stack of papers out of his cloak.

"I believe these are yours, and trust me, they weren't terribly easy to get. I hope they're worth it." He handed the stack to Odessa, smiling. They spent the rest of the evening discussing the battles, taking breaks for doctor's visits and suppers for both mother and child. The talked late into the night, until an irate droid ordered Obi-Wan to leave.

"I'll be back tomorrow. They can't keep me out forever," he said jokingly. He gently stroked Han's head as Odessa held him on her lap, then stood.

"Feel better. Get some rest – no doubt you want to get out of this hospital, and I daresay these droids will get as bad as Merina before your stay is through. I'll see you in the morning." With a sweet smile to Odessa, he closed the door.

She stayed in the hospital for two more days, then Padmé helped her return home. She sent Obi-Wan a brief message letting him know, and he arrived at her apartment in the evening with yet another bouquet of flowers. They ordered dinner from a local delivery place and ate a quiet dinner in the new nursery.

"I'm glad to see that they gave you a clean bill of health. I wouldn't have liked to leave without knowing that you were alright," Obi-Wan told her.

"You're leaving already?" she asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. It's a long assignment, too. We need to oversee the installment of clone armies on multiple planets in the outer rim, and that coupled with separatists trying to destroy us could make for a very long stay away. I'll send you messages, letting you know how everything's going."

"Well, don't send them through Master Windu again – he wasn't terribly amused to play messenger boy to the failed Jedi girl in the library," she replied, annoyed.

Obi-Wan laughed. "Yes, he's a very hard person to like. Some would even call him a 'dog-eat-dog world' personified. But he's got a good heart, and his head's in the right place most of the time. No, I'll send you the messages directly. Since this next stay will be so long, we'll have more permanent living accommodations, complete with long-range communicators. Hopefully we can still have our discussions of battles, even with me halfway across the galaxy."

They spent the rest of the evening talking about his upcoming mission, as well as her plans for Han. Once it became clear that the small boy was entirely too exhausted for any more visitors, Obi-Wan stood. A brief look of sadness flashed through his eyes, but he covered it with a smile.

"Odessa, as always, it's been lovely spending time with you. I shall contact you once I've arrived at the base. May the force be with you." He placed a hand on her shoulder, and for a moment it seemed as if he wanted to hug her, but thought better of it. She smiled at him.

"And you, Obi-Wan. Good Luck out there, and if you don't contact me, I'll send those medical droids after you," she joked. He laughed, and left. She tucked Han into the small basinet beside her bed, and laid down to sleep. It eluded her as she spent many hours thinking of Obi-Wan's upcoming battle, as well as the way he had treated her in the past few days.

Thank you for everyone who reviewed! I know this post is up a bit later than you may have like, but quality over quantity, right? I'll try to have at least one chapter up per week, if not more.

Apocalypse90 – I'm glad you're enjoying the story!

A.K. Anomynous – thank you for the compliment! I'm glad you like it!

Kiki-0303 – I try to keep it moving, but I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Mirielle – My wonderful reviewer! I sent you an email right after I got your review, but I'm not sure if you got it. Let me post the response to your reviews-

I'm so happy you like my story - I actually wrote another obi/odessa fic that I started right after Ep1 and finished right before Ep3, but once Ep3 came out, it was completely off, so I came up with this plot. There are some things in the first one that I like better, but the situation just wasn't plausible with the rest of the story. I might post it after I finish up with this one, if people are interested.

Grammar nitpick - Ack! How did I, the Grammer Nazi herself, miss that:-) Thanks for pointing it out - I'll go fix it.

Back History – As you saw, I put Odessa and her Husband's history in here.

Han's youth - Thanks for the info on Han's youth - I knew that he was abandoned on the streets of Corellia when he was young, but I didn't know the stuff about his mother. I know what I'm going to have happen with him, and I think with a bit of tweaking, it will fit with the story. He will know his mother, and she will love him very much. As for beautiful, well, I like to picture Odessa as beautiful :-).

While I was watching the last movie, I couldn't help thinking that Padme really needed a good friend, and since I had to scrap the plotline of "Odessa the bodyguard to the queen," I figured she'd make a great friend. I'm not sure if I'm doing all that well with Padme's personality, but I don't think I'm too far off.

Trust me, Odessa and Obi-Wan won't be throwing themselves at each other. Truthfully, I don't think my story warrants the T rating, but I'm putting it in there just to be safe. Their relationship will be slow and sweet, not something completely out there.

I've read about Siri, and it does seem as though she and Obi-Wan would go well together. However, since I'm in the middle of writing this story, every time I try and read a fanfic about her, all I can think is "That hussy BETTER stay away from Odessa's man!" :-) Once I'm objective again, I'm sure I'll like her a lot better.

Of course I've read the Shadow series! I haven't gotten my hands on the latest one yet, but Bean is definately awesome. It's so sad that the best characters have to die young.

Thank you so much for reading my story! It really does brighten my day when I get reviews, so thank you so much!


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Only Odessa and the Plot are mine!

Responses to reviews at the end!

What little sleep Odessa got was interrupted by Han's desperately hungry cries in the early hours of the morning. He finally fell into a peaceful slumber shortly before the sun rose, leaving Odessa exhausted but unable to sleep as the first rays of light filtered into the room. Finally accepting the fact that she wouldn't be able to sleep, she rose and examined her body. Her midsection was still swollen and tender, but nowhere near as large as it had been before Han was born. Tentatively she started her morning exercises, and while some things were excruciatingly uncomfortable, the act of going through them helped her feel a sense of familiarity, as if things were finally going to get back to normal. Once the sun was fully in the sky, she went into the kitchen to prepare a light breakfast before preparing for the day. As she entered the kitchen, a knock came from the door.

Opening it, she saw Padmé. Yet, instead of the tear-streaked face of the past departures of the Jedi, she was actually smiling, greeting Odessa cheerfully, she bounded into the apartment.

"Good Morning! Auntie Padmé here, ready to whip you into shape to be a proper mommy!" she said excitedly. Odessa smiled.

"Let's have some breakfast first, and enjoy the few moments we'll have before he wakes up. I'm surprised, I would have thought you would have been more torn up about Anakin's departure – it did seem quite sudden, after all," she replied. Padmé looked at her curiously.

"Well, Anakin told me the day after he returned when he would have to be leaving, so I've been preparing for it. And he's promised that he'll contact me every day, so it won't be terribly lonely. Besides, I have a new man in my life now," she said, grinning. "You look worse than I do – did you get any sleep last night?"

"Not much. Han must wait until I'm finally asleep to decide he's hungry, and I had a lot on my mind last night, before going to bed." Odessa looked down at her hands as she thought of Obi-Wan.

"Well, he should start sleeping through the night in four months or so. Maybe two if you're lucky, but I'd say to bet on four. And what did you have on your mind?" Padmé asked, concerned.

Odessa looked at her friend, unsure of what to tell her. Finally deciding that Padmé was perhaps the only person she could trust, she sighed.

"Obi-Wan. He's…I'm not sure. I expected him to stay as far away as possible for me after the fiasco when Han was born, but quite the opposite happened. He seems genuinely concerned about me, in a manner that may not be entirely proper for a Jedi, and I'm not exactly sure how to interpret it," she said tentatively. Padmé sat beside her and gently placed an arm around Odessa shoulder. "Of course, I'm probably the last one to be saying what is and isn't proper for a Jedi, but he struck me as the type so firmly rooted into the rules that I must be imagining things. But if that's the case, then it means something's happening with me that is definitely not proper. I don't know – perhaps I'm just being overly emotional in the post-labor time. I'm just very confused, and it makes me uneasy," she continued. Padmé was silent for a moment, then looked up at her.

"Are you in love with him?" Odessa snapped her head up so quickly that she could have given herself whiplash, and cast Padmé a hard look. But seeing her friend's concerned face, she immediately softened.

"No. I mean, I enjoy spending time with him, but I still love my husband. He's a wonderful companion, but it could never be anything more than that," she said. Rising from the couch, she went into the kitchen to finish preparing breakfast.

"'Dessa, I know I've never been in your position, but your husband died, not you. If you feel something for Obi-Wan, it's not a crime, nor is it an insult to your husband's memory. Surely he wouldn't have wanted you to be alone for the rest of your life – from everything you've told me, his greatest goal was to ensure your happiness. If Obi-Wan makes you happy, it would be a crime to deny those feelings," Padmé said gently.

"I'm not in love with him," Odessa said vehemently. "It's just – I think he may be in love with me. And that could create an uncomfortable situation for everyone. I enjoy his company, and appreciate the help he gave me when Han was born, but I'm not sure if he expects anything in return." She looked up at Padmé with a lost expression, and her friend walked over to her.

"I've known Obi-Wan for many years, since I was Queen of Naboo. He isn't the type to let his personal feelings get in the way of anything, including friendships. But I've never been as close to him as you are, so I'm not sure how he'd react in that kind of situation. I just can't see him being the type to ruin a friendship for selfish reasons – he is many things, but selfish certainly isn't one of them." Odessa looked up at her with a weak smile. Just then, the sound of Han's cries filled the apartment. Odessa sent a withering look to Padmé, who smiled at her.

"You go get the baby, I'll finish breakfast. He's probably hungry, too."

Odessa went into the bedroom, deep in thought. She knew in her heart that she still loved her husband with every ounce of her being, but she couldn't cast aside the thought that what she was feeling for Obi-Wan was the same way she felt when she was first reunited with her husband. Unfastening her shirt, she lifted Han to her breast, and he instantly quieted down as she fed him. She just didn't have the time for anyone to fall in love with her now. She had Han to take care of, and a demanding job at the temple, which would only get more difficult. Every day she spent at home with Han was a day that more work would pile on, and as it was Merina despised it when she was distracted. To throw a relationship into the picture would just be asking for trouble, and it would be too much for her to handle. Yet if what Padmé said was true, then she needn't worry about it now. She could try to avoid the situation, then deal with it should anything come up. As Han finished up, she placed a towel over her shoulder, and held him against her chest. Gently patting his back, she waited for him to burp before buttoning up her shirt and returning to the kitchen. There she found Padmé cooking a hearty meal on the stove, with a large pot of coffee brewing on the counter.

"Oh dear, that's a lot of food. I haven't had that much of an appetite since Han was born – you're making enough for a small army!" Odessa exclaimed.

"Nonsense. If you want your baby to be properly nourished, you need to be properly nourished. Plus, you'll heal quicker if you eat. So here you go, eat up!" Padmé told her, handing her a plate piled high with food. Gently shifting Han to one side so she could accept the plate, she made her way over to the table and sat down. Padmé joined her shortly after, and took Han so Odessa could eat. Begrudgingly she began to eat, certain that there was no possible way she could finish everything Padmé had prepared. Yet her appetite reappeared as she ate the delicious food, and it seemed in no time she had cleared her plate. Padmé returned Han to her arms, and ate the significantly smaller meal she had prepared for herself. Odessa gently rocked Han and he drifted into a light sleep on her shoulder and waited for Padmé to finish. She finished, and they went into the nursery. Padmé showed her the proper way to change a diaper and they spent the day going through daily chores that Odessa would need to do to take care of Han. It was exhausting, but fun for everyone.

Late in the evening, both Padmé's and Odessa's communicators went off nearly at the same time. Padmé disappeared into the nursery to answer hers while Odessa settled in the living room. Answering it, the head and torso of Obi-Wan appeared in the air in front of her. He grinned hugely at the site of her.

"Well, aren't you a sight for the eyes of this travel-weary negotiator! Glad to see you up and about – I was a bit worried that that son of yours would have run you ragged by now," he said to her. She smiled at him, perhaps a bit shyly.

"It's good to see that you arrived safely, Obi-Wan. As for being run ragged, well, he does do that, but it just makes the times when he sleeps all that much sweeter. I hope that your trip wasn't terribly difficult?"

"No, It went quite well. I think Anakin was a bit disappointed that we didn't run into any battles, but I'd prefer to start off this mission well. We still haven't been told how long we're expected to remain here, but I'll let you know once I do," he told her.

"Well, that's good. Hopefully most of the mission will be like that. Are your accommodations comfortable?" she asked.

"As comfortable as cabins on a starship can be. At least we have our own rooms. Anakin gets a bit grumpy if he has to share a room with someone for too long. Admittedly, I'm glad about it, too – no doubt he would frown upon my contacting you right away, with all the trouble I've given him about his friendship with Padmé. Perhaps I am a bit hypocritical, but I haven't bothered him about it in a while. He seems to be concentrating on his training more, and putting his personal feeling aside. I'm quite proud of him. He actually told me just now that he was going to be meditating, and asked to ensure that he wouldn't be disturbed for the next half hour." Odessa looked away, smiling. While she knew that Anakin should be chastised for lying to his master, it was quite an ingenious way of ensuring enough time to talk with Padmé. Yet she was troubled by Obi-Wan's attitude. Why was he already comparing their friendship with that of Padmé and Anakin? True, he didn't know the extent of their relationship, but he had to know that Anakin had deeper feelings than simply friendship for Padmé. She turned back to him.

"Well, it's good that he has his own personal space, then. I know that when I was a general in the war, one of my favorite perks was my personal room. It gave me a chance to escape the reality of the situation every now and then. And it will give you the chance to keep me up to date with all the action that's happening out there, without worrying about the prying eyes and ears of your apprentice."

"Indeed. But enough about my apprentice – how is your budding Padawan?" Obi-Wan asked. Odessa smiled.

"He's sleeping at the moment – thankfully. He's kept Padmé and me on our toes all day today, but it seems like he's finally settled down. As for being a budding Padawan, well, we shall see about that. I've gotten quite attached to him, and I'm not sure if I want him whisked away to the temple in a few short years. But I'm not sure if I even need to worry – he already seems so much like his father, that it wouldn't surprise me if he weren't a Jedi."

"Well, perhaps when I return, we'll find out. I-" A muffled voice sounded in the background, and Obi-Wan turned his head for a moment.

"Odessa, I have to get going – apparently they're going to actually tell us what's going on now. I'll contact you tomorrow and let you know what's happening here," he said as he turned back to her.

"Alright. Thank you for letting me know you arrived safely, and may the force be with you"

"And you, Odessa." His image faded away. She started into the nothingness for a moment, thinking. She had hoped that his call would smash all of the thoughts and fears she had mentioned to Padmé earlier, but it only seemed to reaffirm them. If anything, it had made them worse. She couldn't ignore the thrill she had felt when she saw his face, heard his voice. She knew that he feelings were more than platonic, and she knew that she had to do something to make them go away. Rising, she silently made her way to the nursery, where she still heard Padmé softly talking. She overheard her farewell to Anakin, and returned to the living room to wait for Padmé. She entered the living room a few moments later, silent tears slipping down her cheeks. Sitting next to Odessa, she rested her head on her friend's shoulder. Odessa wrapped an arm around her friend's back comfortingly.

"It…It hadn't really sunk in that he's gone. Oh, I know I'm being stupid, and that he's fine. But I can't help missing him every time he leaves," Padmé said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"It's not stupid to feel like part of you is missing when the one you love is far away," Odessa told her friend. "I know I felt it every time I had to leave my husband, and now…well, now I feel it constantly. True, Han has filled part of that gap, but there are some nights where I feel like a part of me will be missing forever." Odessa stared off into space, and Padmé watched her friend curiously. There were a few moments of silence, then Odessa turned to her friend. "But we have each other. We'll be able to make it through everything, as long as we can support each other." Padmé smiled, and hugged her friend tightly.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, 'Dessa," she said sincerely. Standing, she helped Odessa up. "I'd better head home, but I'll be back in the morning." Odessa walked her to the door, and made her way to bed.

He thoughts were swimming with conflicting thoughts. The death of her husband still stung like an open wound, yet it seemed as if Obi-Wan's presence had started to help that wound heal. But why? What about this man, one of the very men that condemned her to give up everything she had worked for, affected her so? And was it his or Han's presence that was truly helping her heal? Han was an entirely different matter. She loved him – of that she was certain. In the few short days that she had had him, he had consumed her soul in ways that no one else had been able to. He was her entire world, yet with the happiness he brought, the ache of the missing companionship she had shared with her husband stabbed like a freshly sharpened knife. But whenever she spoke with Obi-Wan, simply heard his serene voice, pain seemed to fade away. "It's not love," she told herself repeatedly, hoping that through time, she would believe it.

The next morning Padmé arrive at the same time, and they took care of Han together. As expected, both Obi-Wan and Anakin contacted them at roughly the same time of the evening. Obi-Wan told Odessa that he should be free every evening, and they settled on a once-a-week conversation every Wednesday evening, at roughly the same time, if possible. If something came up, he told her he would let her know as soon as possible, but since they could be in battles, it would be hard to let her know all the time. Anakin and Padmé talked for much longer than they had the previous evening, but Padmé appeared much happier than she had after their last conversation. She left shortly after.

They soon fell into a steady schedule. Padmé would come over and stay the whole day, provided the senate was not in session. Anakin was contacting Padmé daily, during his "meditation" times, and Padmé would fret if he were even the slightest bit late. Odessa looked forward to her weekly meetings with Obi-Wan, and the weeks quickly turned into months. Three months after Han was born, he slept through the night, much to the relief of his mother. Padmé stopped coming as often, though they still met for their daily dinners. They supported each other through the tough times, when the Jedi were late in contacting them. Both women worried for their safety, and both could be seen breathing a sigh of relief once a message had been received. It was strenuous, but they kept each other sane.

Odessa had rigorously gone through her Jedi exercises after Han was born, and in no time her body was back to her pre-pregnancy form, if not better. She pushed herself harder than she ever had before, and by the time Han was six months old, she felt better than she ever had. She reluctantly returned to work, placing Han in the capable hands of the daycare just down the street from her apartment. It broke her heart every morning that she left him, but in no time he was making friends and seemed happy to be there. She was needed at the library, as things seemed to have piled up around her desk. She worked as furiously as possible, but the true joys in her life came when she returned to her son and spoke with Obi-Wan. Still she vehemently denied her feelings every time Padmé joked with her that she was in love with the Jedi. Her inner conflict was far worse, though – when she closed her eyes to sleep at night, the face she saw in her dreams was Obi-Wan's, as hard as she tried to fight it.

One evening, close to eight months after they had left, Odessa was nervously pacing the living room. Obi-Wan was late. True, he had been late before, but never this late, with no explanation. Padmé hadn't contacted her, either, so Anakin couldn't be in danger. She was torn. Part of her desperately wanted her friend's company and soothing words, but she didn't dare give away her feelings towards Obi-Wan. She could barely admit them to herself. She finally gave up and went to bed, hoping she would hear from him the next day. Yet, less than an hour after she turned in, she heard his voice from her communicator.

"Odessa? Odessa, are you there?" She rushed into the living room, hastily tying her hair back as she sat in front of his image.

"Obi-Wan! I was beginning to think you weren't going to call tonight," she said, hoping to hide the relief on her face. His brow was creased with worry, but he relaxed at the sight of her.

"I'm truly sorry I wasn't here earlier. We had a particularly difficult battle today, and we lost many clones. One of my most trusted commanders was killed, and while it was only a clone, I know it will be difficult to train another to take his place. We had developed a friendship, and it was as if he could understand what I wanted of him before I asked. And it's always hard to lose a trusted friend," he said, a bit hoarsely. Odessa's heart ached for him.

"Well, at least you're safe. I was worried that the worst may have happened. But…was the battle successful?" she asked, tentatively. Obi-Wan sighed.

"Yes, in a fashion. But I don't want to talk about battles tonight, if it's alright with you. Really, I'd just like to forget that the battle ever happened," he responded, looking exhausted. "Tell me, how is Han doing?"

Odessa went into the stories of his escapades in daycare – even at such a young age he was giving his caretakers a run for their money, and she had switched daycares three times in the two months she had returned to work. She told him about her work, and how thankful Merina seemed to have her back. The strict woman had hardly shot her any glares as she tutored the younglings or had to leave early due to a mishap in daycare.

"Well, it sounds like you have your hands full there," Obi-Wan said, visibly more relaxed.

"I do, but it's very fulfilling. I couldn't imagine anything being nearly as gratifying as being a mother," she responded.

"Do you ever feel any…I'm not sure, anger, or regret, that you're not a Jedi?" Odessa paused before responding. She looked away as she formulated her answer, then looked back at him.

"Sometimes. I see the people I trained with becoming knights and moving on, and it hurts to know that I was just as good as them, if not better, but I'll never be what they are. But I know I can't go back, so I try not to dwell on it. I love Han, and I loved my husband, and love is one of the few things worth turning life upside down for. Have you ever been in love?" The last question came out so fast that Odessa almost clapped her hand over her mouth, embarrassed. A slight flush covered her face and Obi-Wan looked away, but it wasn't noticeable over the communicator. After a long pause, he looked up at her.

"Yes. A girl I trained with, long ago, named Siri. She and I were well matched in everything, and against our better judgments, we admitted our feelings to each other. I'm not sure if it was the cause of the argument, but shortly after, she and her master had a rather large falling out, and Siri abandoned the Jedi. I never saw her again. For the longest time, all I could think of was her – where she was, what she was doing. It took years of careful training to finally get over it, but I still feel her absence at times. Do you think that makes me a bad Jedi?" His eyes searched Odessa's face, and she smiled slightly at him.

"Obi-Wan, I could never think you were a bad Jedi. Besides, there are worse things that a Jedi could do. It's impressive that you were actually able to get over her, instead of charging off to find her," she told him.

"Yes well, I find myself in a similar position now," he said, meeting her eyes. She swallowed, and smiled slightly.

"Obi-Wan, I'm glad you're alright. You truly had me worried earlier. But I'm afraid I must get going. Merina, while she has lightened up quite a bit, won't appreciate me being late. Thank you for letting me know that you're doing well." She looked away, frightened that her eyes would reveal too much.

"Odessa, I'm terribly sorry to have worried you," he said. She looked up, and saw that his eyes were full of emotion in a very un-Jedi-like manner. "Thank you for talking with me tonight – I needed something to take my mind off of the battles. You have no idea how much your companionship means to me. Thank you for everything."

"You've done more for me than you can possibly imagine," she said, her voice a bit shaky. "There's no way I could possibly thank you enough. But I…I…well, I'm glad that I can be there for you now. The force be with you."

"Sleep well, Odessa." His image faded away, his eyes still lingering on her face. She returned to bed, silent tears falling on her pillow.

The next morning, she called Padmé as early as possible, and asked her to come over. Her friend rushed over, concerned, and found a very distraught Odessa.

"'Dessa, what is it? Is something wrong with Han?" Odessa blinked at her for a moment.

"Oh! Oh, no…he's fine. It's Obi-Wan. He…well, he practically admitted to me last night that he was in love with me." Her voice was a bit frantic.

"'Dessa, that's wonderful!" Padmé exclaimed, smiling.

"No! No it's not! I – I don't have time for a relationship now, even if the feelings were reciprocated!" Odessa told her friend. Padmé shot her a disbelieving look.

"Aren't they? 'Dessa, don't think I haven't noticed how you wait for Obi-Wan's messages, or how happy you are after you hear from him. Whether or not you're ready to admit it, you do feel something for him." Padmé sat on the couch, and motioned for her friend to follow suit. She did.

"Padmé, regardless of how I feel for him, I don't have the time for a relationship right now. I have to raise Han the best I can without a father figure for him, I have to work so I can feed and clothe him – there's just no time for anything else. And what if he returns and expects more than I can give? I might be banished from the temple, or worse! And if someone guesses that Obi-Wan is involved with me, that could have serious repercussions on Obi-Wan's career!" By this point, Odessa's breaths were coming in rapid bursts, and she appeared to be near tears. Padmé put a comforting arm around her friend.

"'Dessa, don't fret. Obi-Wan isn't going to do anything rash. It's out of his character to do so. Besides, it's not as if he can start courting you from the other side of the galaxy, so don't worry about it. Everything will work out for the best. If it concerns you so much, discuss it with him when he returns. Who knows, things may seems different once he's back." Odessa calmed a bit, and looked at her friend apologetically.

"I'm sorry to get all hysterical on you. I've just been overly stressed recently, with Han causing trouble in daycare and Merina making it clear that I'm not to put anything before the archiving. And now, with Obi-Wan acting so emotionally towards me, I feel as though the rug has been pulled out from under me. It's very stressful on me to have a Jedi apparently pining away for me." She said calmly.

"Tell me about it," Padmé said, smiling. "I wouldn't worry. Obi-Wan is a good person, and a good Jedi. He won't do anything to jeopardize you or Han, or himself, for that matter. Besides, I can think of worse things than to have Master Kenobi himself smitten with you," she joked. Odessa glared at her, then smiled. She prepared a small breakfast for the two of them, then got Han ready for daycare. Padmé played with the small boy as Odessa dressed for work, and bid them both farewell as they split ways.

The next week, Obi-Wan was back to his old self. They discussed the battles he had encountered, and she told him of the ones she had studied. She felt a great sense of relief that things were back to normal. They spent hours talking, and as their conversations came to a close, Obi-Wan's demeanor changed.

"Odessa, I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable last week. It was just a very emotionally trying day for me – which only leads me to believe that I truly am a poor Jedi. I hope you can forgive me, and I will do my best to not let another day like last Wednesday occur." His voice was a bit thick, as if he had planned out what to say, but couldn't get the words out. Odessa gave him a kind smile.

"Obi-Wan, there is nothing to forgive. You are not weak because you care for those around you. I think your compassion for others is perhaps your best trait," she told him. He smiled slightly.

"Once again, thank you. Hopefully soon we'll be able to talk face to face. The force be with you, Odessa."

"And you, Obi-Wan. I'll speak with you next week." She pushed the button, and the image faded. She was relieved that he was not acting strangely, but the memories of his words from their conversation the week before still haunted her. If anything, they had confused her more. His words had sparked something inside her, and she found herself practically pining away for him as she had her husband. It was quite disturbing to her, but she tried to push it aside. It wasn't terribly difficult with the troubles of juggling raising her son and a demanding job at the temple. Still, as Wednesday evening approached, she found herself just as anxious as Padmé was every time she was expecting a call from Anakin.

Two months passed with nothing out of the ordinary. Then one evening, Padmé burst into Odessa's apartment, grinning wildly.

"'Dessa, they're coming back! They'll be back in a month!" she practically shouted, pouncing on her friend and pulling her into a tight hug. Odessa's insides immediately clenched as conflicting emotions tore through her body. While she was elated that she would be able to see Obi-Wan face to face again, as well as excited for Padmé, she knew that she would have to deal with the repercussions of what Obi-Wan had said to her once he returned. And the familiar tingle of excitement at seeing one she had missed for so long had already started brewing in her stomach, despite her attempt to avoid it.

"Padmé, that's wonderful! It's been so long since you've seen Anakin!" Her friend was now sneaking up behind Han, who was wobbling on his little legs as he tried to walk around the living room. She scooped him up into her arms and tickled his stomach, causing him to unleash loud giggles.

"Yes, and you'll see Obi-Wan again," Padmé said matter-of-factly, giving Odessa a curious look.

"Indeed I will. What of it?" Odessa tried to sound nonchalant.

"What of it? Face it, 'Dessa, you're crazy about him. I bet even little Han here knows that," Padmé said.

"Padmé, for the last time, I'm not in love with him. He's a wonderful friend and companion, but nothing more," Odessa said, exasperated.

"Whatever you say," Padmé replied, though she obviously didn't believe her. Deciding it was a losing battle to argue with Padmé, she went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Her friend continued to play with Han for a bit, then went to the kitchen to help Odessa with the meal. She made idle chitchat abut how excited she was that Anakin was returning, but Odessa was only half-listening. While she tried to appear supportive of her friend, she was really trying to picture what Obi-Wan's return would be like. He would be happy to see her; that was certain. But would he address the issue that had kept her up at nights, or simply brush it off in his attempts to be the picture perfect Jedi? And how would she react, faced with the situation and no place to hide?

"'Dessa, are you listening to me? I think those are thoroughly chopped now, and your communicator is beeping." Padmé's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she replied, making her way slowly to the living room. She had a strong suspicion that it was Obi-Wan on the other side, and knew that if she was right, she'd never hear the end of it from Padmé. Reluctantly she answered, and the image of Obi-Wan's head and torso appeared in her living room.

"Obi-Wan, this is unexpected," she lied. In the background, she heard Padmé trying to stifle her giggles. "How are you? Is everything alright?"

"Oh, I'm wonderful, actually. I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but I wanted to let you know as soon as I could – Anakin and I are returning home in approximately a month," he said, grinning. She smiled back at him.

"That's wonderful! You'll have to see Han – he's grown so much in the time you've been gone," she told him.

"Indeed I will. And I hope to spend more time with you this time, hopefully without having to bring you to the hospital. Typically they'll give us some time off after as long of a stay as this was, so I shouldn't be running off at a moment's notice. I'll seek you out once I return. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know – I'll let you get back to what you were doing." Though he tried to contain it, Odessa saw the happiness sparkling in his eyes. It overjoyed her that he was so excited to see her, but it was a bit overwhelming. What did he expect of her on his return?

"That's wonderful news. I'll look forward to your return. Take care – now that you've told me you'll be returning, I'll be very upset if you break that promise," she told him jokingly. He smiled at her.

"I'll do my best. Take care of yourself, and say hello to Han for me," he told her, then faded away. She made her way back to the kitchen, where Padmé was finishing up the meal. She greeted Odessa with a strange smile.

"So, how is dearest Obi-Wan?" Padmé asked, smirking.

"He's well, as I'm sure you can imagine. Happy to be returning home," Odessa responded curtly.

"Returning to you, you mean," Padmé said, still grinning.

"Returning _in general_, I believe. They've been gone for almost a year; I wouldn't expect anything less than excitement." Odessa told her curtly.

"Well, he sounded like he was looking forward to seeing you in particular," Padmé responded.

"You, my dear, were eavesdropping," Odessa chastised, "but yes, we both know that he does seem a bit taken with me. However, as I have told you many times in the past, the feeling is _not_ reciprocated. There's only one man in my life," Odessa said, sweeping Han into her arms. He giggled as she placed him into his high chair.

"Well, you certainly seemed, er, _friendly_, with him," Padmé looked at Odessa, still slightly grinning. Odessa sighed.

"Well, we've already established that we're friends. Now, enough of this. Tell me about what Anakin had to say." Padmé laughed. She then went into a long winded tale of Anakin's barely containable excitement, which led to an enjoyable evening of Padmé's stories about the younger Jedi.

The month passed uneventfully. Padmé's snide comments toned down once she saw her friend's genuine anxiety over Obi-Wan's return, and instead they contemplated what Odessa should do if Obi-Wan did profess his love for her. Unfortunately for Odessa, they came up with no reasonable plan. As the day of their return approached, Odessa was overcome with a mixture of sickening dread and uncontainable excitement, not unlike the feelings she had before going before the Jedi Council more than a year and a half before, after her master had died. When the day finally arrived, Odessa was so nervous that it was difficult for her to do her daily exercises, which typically soothed her nerves. Instead, she found herself pacing in Padmé's living room early in the morning, while her sleepy hostess brewed a strong pot of coffee.

"'Dessa, remember what you told me when Anakin was returning, and I was driving myself out of my mind? Everything will happen the way it's supposed to, and there's nothing you can do to change that. Just relax, and let it happen." Padmé stifled a yawn.

"I suppose you're right," Odessa said, her nerves calmed by Padmé's sensible words. She sat on the couch, and drank from the steaming cup her friend handed to her. Han was curled up on the couch beside her, his cranky complaints of being woken up so early having finally died down. His dark blue eyes were closed as he gently sucked on his thumb. Odessa stroked the bright blond hair on his head as he slept. Padmé sat on a plush armchair across from them.

"'Dessa, don't worry about Obi-Wan. Really. Even if he does have feelings for you, he won't act on them. Well, he won't act on them as long as he doesn't perceive any sort of reciprocated feelings. From everything you've told me, you don't have any feelings to reciprocate, so there's nothing to worry about," Padmé said. Odessa looked at her, then looked back at Han.

"I suppose you're right. I am making far too big a deal of this. Honestly, less than two years after being released from the Jedi, and I'm a blithering mess of emotions! I can't let that be. I didn't work my entire life to become some sort of slave to my emotions, regardless of the situation. Give me a moment, and I'll be out of your hair," Odessa responded, then pulled herself into a meditation position. Padmé watched as Odessa's face became relaxed and serene, and soon her posture followed suit. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and smiled at her friend.

"I'm so sorry I woke you up. I'm going to go drop Han off at daycare and put in some extra time at work – it will help me calm down even more. Thanks for putting up with me." Padmé smiled at her.

"You'd do the same for me, so it'd be pretty rude of me not to repay the favor. I'll drop you a message later, making sure that you haven't gone completely nuts yet. Don't worry, alright? Everything will be fine." Padmé hugged both Han and Odessa as they left, then returned to bed.

Odessa made her way to the temple in a much calmer state than she had been in for months. She worked diligently for three hours, and then Merina asked her to restock some of the shelves, as the younglings had been tearing them apart in their studies. She spent an hour doing this, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun around with her finely tuned Jedi reflexes, and startled the person behind her.

"Well, that's certainly one way to welcome back someone who's been gone nearly a year," Obi-Wan told her as he expertly dodged away from her. Relaxing, she smiled broadly.

"Master Kenobi, you really shouldn't sneak up on people like that – especially those trained as a Jedi," she told him. He smiled.

"Well, Ms. Sinthea, I thought it would be safer for my limbs if I greeted you away from the prying eyes of your lovely overseer – apparently, I was wrong. I know you can't talk much now, but perhaps we can finish the dinner we started last time I was here?" His eyes shone brightly, and she could tell that he was extremely happy to see her. Yet he kept his distance, and only his eyes betrayed any emotion. She straightened up and studied his face. She felt much calmer than she imagined she would, and was grateful for that.

"That sounds wonderful. Do you still remember where my apartment is?"

"How could I forget? Until tonight, Ms. Sinthea." He turned and disappeared through the books. Smiling to herself, Odessa continued restocking the shelves. She returned to her desk an hour later to find a message from Padmé, checking to see if she was alright. She sent a brief reply to her friend, and returned to transcribing battles.

The day creeped by. Finally she was able to pick up Han and return home, the tingle of anticipation filling her stomach. She gave Han a bath (which he wasn't terribly fond of, despite Odessa's attempts to make it enjoyable), and then changed. She stood in front of her closet, finally deciding on a form-fitting yet modest dress in a deep purple. She prepared a simple yet elegant meal for the two of them, and fed Han as she waited for Obi-Wan to arrive.

He was at her door at promptly 7 o'clock. He had a bouquet of flowers in his arms, and his turquoise eyes lit up at the sight of her. She greeted him cheerfully as he entered.

"Well, look at you! You certainly have bounced back from your pregnancy, haven't you?" Obi-Wan said as she took the flowers from him and put them in some water. He stood in the living room, watching her.

"Thank you for the flowers, and the compliment. I've been keeping up with my Jedi exercises as much as I can, so that really helped get me back in shape. But trust me, running around after a little boy can work wonders, especially if the little boy is as adventurous as mine is," Odessa responded, motioning to Han. He was gripping the couch cushions as he attempted to walk from one end of the couch to the other. Obi-Wan smiled.

"He's certainly grown quite a bit. Though with him starting to walk now, I can imagine your troubles are just beginning."

"You have no idea. As it is he's been tossed out of numerous daycare facilities for causing trouble. I can only imagine what kind of trouble he'll get himself into once he's grown. Come and eat." Obi-Wan sat, and as they ate he told her of the more memorable battles he had encountered. After the meal Odessa put Han to bed, and returned to the living room and sat beside Obi-Wan. He looked at her with the same sort of desperation in his eyes as she had seen that night he had been late, but everything else in his posture was relaxed.

"It's truly wonderful to see you again, Odessa. Really, it's amazing how well you've recovered from your pregnancy. I was worried that the labor had weakened you, with how concerned the medical droids were. But I'm glad to see that you proved us all wrong. Now, you say you've kept up with your Jedi exercises – what exactly does that entail?"

"Well, I've kept up with the mental exercises, obviously. I meditate every day, and I'm constantly working on pushing all emotion away when I'm at work. I've kept up with as much of the physical exercises as I can, but I'm sure my fighting skills are extremely rusty. But everything else has kept me pretty much together," she responded. Obi-Wan looked at her curiously for a moment, then stood. He removed his lightsaber and picked up one of Han's toys, a small rubber ball, from the floor. He tossed the lightsaber to Odessa, then used the force to move the furniture to the edges of the room. She caught it, confused. Pulling a strip of cloth out of his cloak, he moved behind her and tied it around her eyes. She felt his strong hands linger slightly longer than necessary on her shoulders, but then she sensed him moving in front of her.

"Now, lets see what you can do." She felt the ball hovering in front of her, and she ignited the lightsaber. The feel of the cool metal in her hands brought back all the memories she had of the past, and knew at once that her skills were not nearly as rusty as she imagined. In no time she was expertly attacking the ball, exhausting both herself and Obi-Wan. They spent two hours refining her skills, when they both collapsed onto the couch. She reached back and untied the blindfold, blinking in the light. Obi-Was was looking at her, his eyes filled with pride, and an emotion she hadn't seen in anyone's eyes since she last spoke with her husband – love.

"Very impressive, Odessa. I have a proposition for you – how would you like to spar with me in the time I have on Coruscant? I have no need to be elsewhere, since my apprentice seems to disappear in the evenings whenever we return. I can help you reestablish your skills, and you'll have a way to defend yourself, should the need arise. If you're interested, that is – I wouldn't want to force you into doing anything you're not comfortable with," he said to her. She smiled.

"Obi-Wan, that would be wonderful! But…couldn't you get in trouble with the council for that? I wouldn't want you endangering your position for me," she told him.

"Leave the council to me. I shall return the same time tomorrow, and we can resume your training." Obi-Wan stood and walked to the door. She followed him. He turned to her, and took her hands in his.

"Thank you for your hospitality. I'll see you tomorrow evening. You know, I think the council may have been wrong in denying you knighthood, regardless of your child. You certainly have the skills to be a spectacular Jedi knight." He squeezed her hands gently, then left. Odessa slept that night, a permanent grin on her face.

Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers! It makes me so happy to read that you all like my story! Of course, constructive criticism is welcome, too! Feel free to let me know what you think!

Mirielle – your reviews crack me up! I'm glad you're enjoying the story, but I'm not sure what you meant by this: "it seems that you're barely restraining yourself from having the on the light side of the Force" – care to explain? is clueless I love getting your reviews, so thank you so much:-)

Rachel Sparrow – I'm glad you like the story! Unfortunately, I'm not going to have any smut in here…there's really no place for it, and I'm no good at writing it. It's not that I have anything against it (give me a good smutty Snape story anytime :-) ), but there's really just no room for it in the plotline that I have. I'm sorry, but I hope you'll like the story anyway!

Mistress Haruka – Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'm glad you like the story – I'm quite fond of Odessa, too :-).


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Only Odessa and the plot are mine!

Thank you to everyone that reviewed! Responses at the end!

Odessa woke the next morning, still giddy from the night before. She was actually going to resume her training – it didn't seem real to her. Why would Obi-Wan choose to go against the ruling of the council, of which he was a member, for her? The answer was clear, though she didn't want to fully admit it. He was in love with her. But it had to be more than that. A mere crush simply wasn't enough of a reason to place a deadly weapon in the hands of an amateur. True, she wasn't exactly an amateur, but it was a great risk on both of their livelihoods should anyone on the council discover their little secret. Yet she knew that she would most likely die before revealing it, and that Obi-Wan could be trusted. If there was anything to be said about him, he definitely cared about her, and wouldn't do anything that would put her or her son in danger. She rose from bed and proceeded with her exercises, her muscles surprisingly stiff and sore from the activity the night before. The pain felt good to her – it reminded her that she was still alive.

She made her way to the temple with far more energy than she had had in a long time. She breezed through her work, enjoying it as she had when she first began. As lunchtime neared, she looked up to see Obi-Wan standing by the entrance, watching her. He glanced towards the clock, and she smiled at him. She wrapped up her work, and met him in the hallway. He greeted her formally, but his eyes gave away the joy he felt in seeing her.

"Ms. Sinthea, I was hoping you would join me for lunch, as you did the last time I was here. Our conversations were quite stimulating, and I was hoping to continue them," he said.

"As long as it doesn't interfere with my work, I would be delighted to join you, Master Kenobi," she replied, suppressing a grin at his overly formal mannerisms. They walked side by side in silence towards the cafeteria, and picked a table near the back. As they sat to eat, Obi-Wan looked up at her.

"So how are you today, Ms. Sinthea?" he asked quietly.

"Alright, I suppose. A bit sore after a somewhat unexpected series of exercise I encountered last night, but nothing that I can't handle." She saw one corner of his mouth turn up for a moment, and then his face was blank again.

"Well, one should only expect that perhaps their physical condition may deteriorate, once they've been out of the order of the Jedi for as long has you have been," he replied, though she could tell from the look in his eyes that he was joking with her. She shot him an indignant expression.

"I do what I can, Master. Unfortunately, the job you and your council deemed me worthy of doesn't afford much time for physical activity. Regardless, you did not ask me here to discuss my physical condition," she shot back. His expression of amusement only grew.

"Indeed I didn't." He concentrated on his food for a moment as he tried to wipe the smile off of his face. Odessa's face had remained blank, but she too was thoroughly amused by Obi-Wan's attempt to appear as a strict and somewhat heartless Jedi Master. After a few moments, she brought up one of the more interesting battles she had been analyzing, and the rest of the meal was filled with enjoyable conversation and debate. As the time neared one, they made their way to the hallway.

"Enjoyable as always, Ms. Sinthea," he said to her, grasping her hand in his.

"The same to you, Master Kenobi. Perhaps we can make a habit of our meetings?"

"Perhaps, if my business with the council does not interfere. It's busy work, being a Jedi Master. Good day, Ms. Sinthea." He reluctantly released her hand.

"Good day to you, Master Kenobi." She started past him, but he gently grasped her arm as she walked by.

"I'll provide dinner tonight. Make sure you're wearing something you can move in," he said in a barely perceptible whisper. She nodded slightly, and continued to the library. Feeling another surge of happiness and excitement, she returned to her work, barely able to concentrate. As soon as she could, she hurried to pick up Han and rushed home. She fed him, then left him to play in living room as she went to change. Sorting through her clothes, she found that the only acceptable attire was her old Jedi garb. It still fit well enough, but she worried that it might seem a bit presumptuous to be dressing as a Jedi during her training with Obi-Wan, since they both knew that she would never again be in the order. But none of her other clothes were as comfortable or as easy to move in as her old uniform, so reluctantly she dressed in that. She reentered the living room to find Han playing with the ball she had practiced with last night, and used the force to float it over his head as he squealed with delight. They played together for a few moments until Obi-Wan's knock sounded on her door.

"Good evening, Obi-Wan," she said as she answered the door. He entered and placed a large brown sack on the table, then looked at her as she closed the door. She turned to him, studying his face.

"It was all I had, really, that I could move in. If it offends you, I can change into something else…" her voice trailed off, and his eyes snapped to her.

"No – you're fine. I just never noticed how you looked in the traditional Jedi outfit. It seems fitting on you. Just don't make a habit of wearing it in public, unless you want to attract the attention of the council," he said to her, smiling. She relaxed, and took out some plates for their dinner.

"Odessa, I wanted to apologize for my attitude today at lunch. I wanted to appear as though I had as much disdain for your situation as other members of the council do. I don't want them to suspect that there's any possible way that I could be training you…I hope I didn't offend you." His eyes were full of concern. She turned to him and smiled.

"Trust me, Obi-Wan, if I thought that there was a speck of truth in what you were saying to me, you probably would have ended up covered in my meal – or at least, you would have spent the rest of the lunch hour alone. And I certainly wouldn't have let you waltz into my apartment if I felt offended by your comments." He let out a sigh of relief, and returned the smile.

"I thought as much, but I wanted to be sure." He turned his attention to Han, who was sitting on the floor, throwing the ball into the air and getting extremely frustrated when it immediately fell back to the ground.

"Well, that's an interesting game you're playing there," he said to the small boy as he sat beside him.

"He likes it when the ball stays in the air," Odessa commented from the kitchen.

"And how would it do that?" Obi-Wan asked, eyeing her.

"Magic, I suppose. Why, I saw it doing that just before you arrived. But surely that's not why we're gifted with the power of the Force, right?" She smiled at him.

"Certainly not. Such abuse of the Force is to be severely punished." Obi-Wan held out his hand, and the red ball floated just inches above Han's tiny outstretched fingers. He let out pearls of laughter as he struggled to reach it. Obi-Wan floated the ball around the small boy's head, then gently dropped it into his hands. Rising, he entered the kitchen.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" he asked kindly. She handed him a stack of plates and silverware.

"Set the table while I make a salad. Feel free to dish out some of the food and begin eating – I'll be there shortly." He nodded and left. She chopped up the rest of the vegetables and brought the bowl to the table. Obi-Wan was carefully emptying the take-out containers into serving dishes as she placed the salad on the table. They sat opposite each other and began to take their food. Han half-walked, half crawled over to Obi-Wan, and held the ball out to him. Obi-Wan smiled at the boy.

"He likes you," Odessa said to him. "Either that, or he's figured out that you can make the ball float, and he's enlisting you to do so." She picked Han up and placed him in his high chair next to the table, where he began to throw the ball into the air. In an effort to ensure that dinner wasn't once again interrupted by the boy, Obi-Wan halted the ball in midair, and held it there as they ate. Han let out little cries of frustration as he tried to reach the ball, but they didn't interrupt the conversation between the two adults.

They spoke about Odessa's training. She explained the kind of technique that Master Gheros has used with her, and gave him a rough estimate of how often they practiced. Obi-Wan seemed to be planning out something in his head, but didn't reveal it. They finished their meal and Odessa put Han to bed. Once she returned to the living room, she saw that Obi-Wan had once again cleared the center of the room. He looked up at her, and held out his lightsaber. She took it from him and he secured a helmet over her head, covering her eyes.

"It wasn't terribly easy to come across a training helmet for adults, but I was able to dig one up. Maybe it'll be useful in the future," he told her. "Last night I went easy on you – now, straighten up your posture. You're too hunched over, too unsure of yourself. If your posture makes it seem as though you're easy to defeat, you will be. You are training as a Jedi, now live up to that title. Spread your feet more – it'll keep you more solid. Now, attack the ball." His voice had become that of a true Jedi Master, instructing their apprentice. It was clear to Odessa that while Anakin had much skill on his own, he wouldn't be anything close to what he was today if he hadn't had Obi-Wan as a mentor. Odessa sensed the ball in front of her, and lunged for it. It scooted the opposite way than she expected, and she spun quickly to avoid it. "Too hasty!" Obi-Wan scolded. "You need to think one step ahead of your opponent! Use the force as more than just a guide, let it tell you where to hit. Make direct, precise movements, not sloppy stabs into nothingness. You're better than that. Now, try again."

They went on like that for almost four hours before Obi-Wan removed her helmet. Both were drenched in sweat as they collapsed on the couch. Odessa couldn't think of a part of her body that wasn't aching, but the adrenaline pumping through her veins made her feel as if she were in the middle of battle once again.

"Very impressive, Odessa. You're not as rusty as you probably think you are. With a little bit of practice, you'll be at the top of your game again. I know I'd be frightened to come across you in a dark alley and accidentally startle you," he said with a grin. He stood and stretched, then made his way to the door. Odessa followed him.

"Lunchtime, tomorrow? I promise I won't make any snide comments that could result in me being covered with food," Obi-Wan said, smiling at her. She grinned, and nodded.

"Of course I'll meet you for lunch. Get some good rest tonight, Obi-Wan. I have a feeling we'll both need it," she said. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You do the same. I feel it's been entirely too long since I've trained anyone – these aging bones of mine are a bit stiff, but I think you'll loosen them up. Until tomorrow," he said to her. He turned, and was gone in the blink of an eye. Odessa made her way to bed, and was asleep in seconds.

They went on like that for a week, and soon they both realized that there wasn't much more Odessa could improve with the ball. She was able to counter everything Obi-Wan threw at her, even when he introduced more object into the fray. They still enjoyed their time together and the workout, but she wasn't being challenged to grow anymore. Obi-Wan wasn't quite sure how to rectify the situation. He knew that the next logical step in her training was to spar with her, but there was no easy way to do that. Finally he came up with a solution, and met Odessa one evening with a peculiar glint in his eye, as if two sides of him were torn.

"Odessa, I have something for you," he said as they readied for their daily practice. He reached into his robe and pulled out a lightsaber with a slim handle and a rounded end. Tentatively Odessa took it from him, feeling a slight thrill go through her body as she noticed how well it seemed to fit in her hands. Igniting it, a bright purple blade shot out of the weapon. Hastily she turned it off.

"Obi-Wan, where did you get this?" she asked, astonished. He smiled.

"It wasn't terribly difficult. I went to the supply shop in the Temple and asked for a spare, saying mine was malfunctioning. When they offered to fix it, I told them that I wanted to see what I could do first. They're so busy down there that they probably won't even notice that it's gone."

"Couldn't we both get into serious trouble for this? If the council were to find out that you gave a lightsaber to a common person, they'd be furious! Why, I have half a mind to go return this right now!" Odessa exclaimed.

"Fortunately for both of us, your other half is the sensible one. Besides, I know that I can trust you. You won't use it in public unless you absolutely need to," Obi-Wan said, smirking. Odessa bristled.

"I might not even then; I'd be so concerned about the consequences. But what I want to know is, where did the rule-abiding Jedi Master I met so long ago go? He certainly wouldn't have condoned something like this."

Obi-Wan paused, that same strange glint in his eye, though his smile never faded. "Indeed not. However, he seems to have turned a blind eye towards you," he said, gazing at her. "Besides, there are far less qualified people out there waving around lightsabers recklessly, so we'll need some good people like you to keep the peace."

Odessa smiled, though she was still torn. It was a great risk for both her and Obi-Wan if anyone found out about what they were doing, but she couldn't deny that she had missed sparring perhaps most of all. Sighing, she looked up at Obi-Wan.

"I promise to keep it a secret as long as you will," she told him. His smile widened, and he removed his cloak.

"Very well then. Assume your position," he said to her, igniting his lightsaber. She lit hers, and they began to spar. Their fighting was fierce, and while Obi-Wan seemed to be holding back a bit, he was relentless. He was quick to point out her weak spots, and she took every bit of advice he gave to heart. They went on for four excruciating hours, and collapsed onto the couch.

"Well, Odessa, you certainly haven't lost your skill," he said to her, panting. "Your form needs a bit of work, but we can work on that, and I'm sure you'll have that down in no time. Now, I don't suppose you have a towel I could borrow?" he asked her, using a drenched sleeve to wipe his dripping brow.

"Of course," she said, also exhausted. "Let me change into something a bit…drier, and I'll bring one right out for you." He nodded, and she went to her bedroom, muscles complaining with every step. Han was still blissfully asleep – luckily for the two Jedi, he had not been alarmed by the sounds of their battle. She quickly changed into a simple dress that she typically wore around the apartment, then grabbed a clean towel for Obi-Wan. When she reentered the living room, she found the Jedi master asleep, still propped up on the couch. For a moment she considered waking him, but analyzed her own physical state and knew that there was no way she could force Obi-Wan to leave. Gently wiping his brow with the towel, she dimmed the lights and went to bed.

She woke early the next morning and performed her exercises in the solace of her room. She wasn't sure if Obi-Wan was still there, but didn't want to interrupt him if he was in the middle of his own morning ritual. She showered and dressed, but before waking Han she made her way into the living room to check on Obi-Wan. He was sitting up, stretching. It appeared that he hadn't woke up too long beforehand.

"Well good morning, Master Kenobi," she said to him with a wry smile. He smirked back.

"I'm dreadfully sorry that I fell asleep here, Odessa. Though I am thankful that you didn't wake me; I can't imagine making my way back to the temple as if I had just endured one of the most challenging Jedi battles of my lifetime. While I'm not much better now, I think I can pass it off as simple overexercise," he told her. He stood and made his way to the door.

"Obi-Wan, you really musn't let that happen again. It's not that I mind you staying the night, but people may talk if they see you here," she said to him as she followed him to the door. He grasped her hands in his.

"Oh, let them talk. It wouldn't bother me. I can't see you being the type that would care about what others think, either, but I will be as cautious as possible when leaving your apartment at early hours of the morning. I will see you at lunchtime." He raised her hand to his lips and gently kissed the back of her hand, yet his eyes never left her own. A shock went through her body as his lips made contact with her skin, and it felt as if her heart had jumped to her throat and plummeted to her stomach all at once. He released her hand a moment later and was out of sight, yet she still stood in the doorway, speechless. It wasn't until after she had woken Han and was feeding him that she realized that Obi-Wan had every intention of staying at her place, should their exercises require it.

She made her way to the temple, her muscles aching more than they had after she gave birth to Han. She fidgeted in her seat, unable to find a comfortable position. As a result, she barely got any work done in the first two hours of the morning, and Merina pulled her aside.

"Ms. Sinthea, you haven't done a single thing productive this morning. And don't think I haven't noticed that Master Kenobi has been in here twice, pretending to be browsing the aisles. I don't know what's going on, but if your work continues to deteriorate, I will report you to the Jedi council, and let them deal with you. Your job here is to be the archivist, not to attract the attentions of Jedi Masters. In your time here, you have been an excellent worker, as long as Master Kenobi is somewhere out of this star system. When he is around, you seem to forget your place. You are an archivist, and nothing more. There are many people on this planet that would be honored to hold your position, and while they may not be as good at analyzing battles as you are, they would certainly understand the distinction between archivist and Jedi Master. You are no longer a Jedi. Whatever it is that's keeping you up at night, unless your child has a severe illness that I should know about, it is not as important as your livelihood. Keep that in mind," the woman said irately, then walked away. Fuming, Odessa sat at her desk and furiously typed in the data she had for the battle she was analyzing. She kept up a lightning pace until noon, then hurried out of the library, almost colliding with Obi-Wan as he entered.

"Well good morning, Ms. Sinthea," he said cheerily. She scowled at him, and pulled him aside. The hallways were busy, so no one noticed as they stepped behind a column for privacy.

"You, Master Kenobi, are going to get me in trouble. I won't go into the details now, but you, sir, are going to get it tonight." He gave her a confused look, but she had already turned and was making her way to the cafeteria. He rushed to catch up with her.

"I had worried that she saw me as I came in to check on you, and I'm terribly sorry if I caused you any trouble," he said to her, concerned. She sighed, then smiled at him.

"Oh, it's not your fault. She's just putting extra pressure on me. I'll explain it all later," she said as they entered the cafeteria and got their meals. They sat in their usual spot and discussed the goings-on of the Council and their involvement in the war, as Odessa didn't have much in the way of battles to discuss. With apologies to Obi-Wan she returned to work early, resuming her lightning fast pace. She could sense Merina watching her as she worked, but Odessa adamantly kept to her work. As soon as it was time for her to leave, Odessa was gone in the blink of an eye, picking up Han and some dinner for her meeting with Obi-Wan. She returned home and changed into a clean Jedi uniform, then waited for Obi-Want to arrive.

He came at exactly the same time, and they sat down at the table. Before he began to eat, he gave her a very concerned and apologetic look.

"So, what happened that I got you in trouble earlier?" he asked. Odessa sighed.

"Well, Merina noticed that I wasn't getting much work done – it's difficult to concentrate when my muscles are on fire. Also, she's noticed that my work seems to worsen whenever you're around, and threatened to report me to the Jedi Council if my work didn't improve. I know this is my problem, not yours, and I'm sorry to have alarmed you," she said to him. He reached over and placed his hand over hers.

"I'm sorry if my presence is causing you trouble – if you would like, we don't have to continue your training," he said, his eyes full of concern.

"No! That's not what I want at all. I'll be fine; don't worry about Merina. I can handle her. I really enjoy the time we spend together," she said to him, looking down at her food. He gently squeezed her hand and began to eat. After they finished their meal she put Han to bed and joined Obi-Wan in the living room. He had taken off his robe and was standing in the middle, watching her. She picked up the lightsaber he had gotten for her, and they fought until the early hours of the morning. Once they stopped, Odessa got a pillow and light blanket for Obi-Wan as he settled onto the couch.

In the morning she woke and met Obi-Wan in the living room. He was meditating, but paused and asked her to join him. They went through their morning exercises together, and then Obi-Wan prepared to leave. After he finished getting his things together, he turned to her.

"How are you feeling today? I don't want you getting into any more trouble with Merina," he said. She stretched, and winced a bit.

"My muscles are sore, but I think I'll be able to handle it."

"Come here," he said, and she did. He walked around behind her and began to gently massage the kinks out of her shoulders. The feel of his hands on the sensitive skin of her neck and shoulders sent shivers down her spine. He kept at it for a few moments, then reluctantly lifted his hands away. "That should help a bit. I don't want to hear of any more threats of you being reported to the Jedi Council, or I'll speak with Merina personally," he said as they walked to the door.

"Everything should be fine. I'm used to working in uncomfortable positions, and I do feel quite a bit better than I did yesterday. I'll see you at lunch?" He smiled, and once again took her hand in his.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," he said as he pressed his lips to her hand.

They continued with the same schedule for three weeks. Odessa's style improved greatly, and she was soon back at top form. Once her muscles had readjusted to the activity of Jedi sparring she was able to concentrate on her work once more, and Merina seemed to calm down. Her friendship with Obi-Wan continued to grow with every day they spent together. They could soon tell what the other was feeling based solely on the slight expressions they wore, and their connection on a personal level as well as the bond between teacher and student grew stronger. As much as Odessa had tried to deny it earlier, she could no longer say that she was not in love with Obi-Wan.

One evening as they sat down for dinner, Odessa noticed that Obi-Wan was being overly quiet, as if he was keeping something from her. She looked at him curiously.

"Obi-Wan, what's troubling you?" she asked him. He looked up at her, his turquoise eyes seeming conflicted.

"Odessa, soon I will be returning to the battles. I'm not sure exactly when, as I haven't been given specific orders, but there have been whispers that the council wants Anakin and I to seek out Count Dooku and take him into custody for questioning. I want you to know, though, as soon as this awful war is over, I am going to speak to the council on your behalf so that you may become a Jedi Knight. You're more than capable, and you deserve it," he said to her.

"Obi-Wan, I couldn't ask you to do that. And what then? Suppose they do grant me knighthood – who will take care of Han? I couldn't just abandon him for my own personal desires, nor would I want to. Besides, there's no way the council would allow it," she argued.

"They might, if I present the arguments for you," Obi-Wan countered.

"No, Obi-Wan. I won't let you put your own position at risk for me. I'm happy with the way things are, and I wouldn't leave Han."

"Han may be in training at the Jedi temple by then. I understand your attachment to him, but he would be well cared for there."

"I don't sense the force around him. He's over a year old, surely I would have noticed that he'd be able to send his own balls flying across the room, instead of crying for me to do it. If he isn't a Jedi, then there's no way I would leave him."

"Regardless, when the war is over, I will speak to the council. Someone with your skill deserves some sort of recognition."

"I won't let you risk your position for me," Odessa said adamantly.

"Oh really? And how exactly will you stop me?" he asked her, his eyes glittering with amusement.

"I'm sure I could figure out a way of silencing you," she retorted.

"Well, we shall see how you feel once the time is right. Are you ready?" He rose from the table and held out his hand to her. She took it and he pulled her out of the chair. They readied themselves for their typical battles and began yet another exhausting evening.

A week later, Obi-Wan's suspicions were confirmed when the Jedi Council ordered the two Jedi to track down Count Dooku based on a few leads they had obtained. The evening before their departure found Odessa sitting with Obi-Wan on the couch, reluctant to spend their last evening together for an undetermined amount of time sparring. Instead, Obi-Wan showed her a few exercises that would help her stay in shape without having a sparring partner, and they talked about his upcoming journey. Despite their lack of physical activity, they stayed up late into the night, simply talking. Odessa finally went to bed, allowing Obi-Wan to stay once more. In the morning she woke early and prepared a light meal for the two of them after their exercises. As the time drew close for him to leave, they both lingered on the couch, reluctant to say goodbye. Finally Obi-Wan made his way to the door, Odessa following closely.

"Odessa, I will contact you as soon as I can to let you know of my status. With any luck this mission shouldn't be overly long or dangerous, but with Count Dooku, who knows. I know Anakin is eager to face him again; a little too eager, perhaps. But the information we have may not be reliable, so we may be back sooner than we think if we're chasing a lie. It may be harder for me to contact you, but I will do my best." His eyes were full of sadness.

"I'm sure everything will be fine. Good luck, though I know you don't need it. May the force be with you, Obi-Wan," she told him, unable to directly meet his eyes. He placed a hand under her chin and raised her head so that he could look at her. Odessa wasn't sure if he was going to kiss her or not.

"And you, Odessa," he said, pulling her into a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck, reluctant to let him go. Finally he pulled away, and was gone all too soon. The cold empty feeling of loss creeped into her stomach as she woke Han and brought him to daycare. She went through her work on autopilot, unable to concentrate too intensely on anything. Luckily for her, Merina didn't notice. In the late morning, she felt the familiar feeling of Obi-Wan watching her, and she looked up to see him standing at the entrance. He waved slightly at her, and she smiled. Then he disappeared. The raw feeling returned, and she couldn't have been more grateful when the day ended. She made her way to Padmé's after picking up Han, and wasn't surprised to see her friend in tears. She hugged her, and they sat together on Padmé's couch, neither talking. Finally Odessa spoke up.

"Oh Padmé, what am I going to do? I'm in love with him."

I know this chapter is a little short, but hey, it's earlier than expected, and very important to the story. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter out by the end of this week, but I can't guarantee anything, as I just found out that my great-aunt has cancer that's spread, so I may be making some unexpected trips.

Mirielle – Basically, I'm having Padmé keep her friendship with Odessa quiet around Anakin. I can't imagine him really being too happy with her having friends, either. I haven't read the Revenge of the Sith book, though I want too. It's too bad that they took out most of Padmé's political stuff for the movie – I would have liked to see that. I got my info on Siri from this website: www. starwars. Com /databank /character /siritachi/ - knowing that there's more to that makes me want to read "Secrets of the Jedi" even more :-). I hope it's not terribly angsty for you – like I said in my email, Padmé will be getting pregnant soon.

Rachel Sparrow – Sorry to say, they're not going to be sleeping together in this story. I know this chapter kinda does ask for it, but really, even though they're in the same apartment, they're both too exhausted to do anything but sleep. As for kissing…well….we shall see :-). You're right, though, it really didn't warrant the T rating, so I put it down to K+. I mainly had it at T for some violence that will happen near the end, but I think K+ should still be right. And now they both know that they're in love, but if they actually confess their feelings? Again, we'll see :-).


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Only Odessa and the plot are mine!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Responses are at the end!

Padmé's tears abruptly stopped as Odessa's words sunk in. She let out a little "oh" of sympathy and wrapped her arms around her friend. While she was deeply grateful for Padmé's support, it did little to help the raw pain coursing through her body. She felt numb, too numb to speak or even cry. Admitting her feelings to her friend had made the situation real to her, and now she felt as if she had lost her husband all over again. They sat in silence for a while, and finally Padmé pulled away and looked at her friend.

"Are you going to tell him?" Padmé asked. Odessa sighed, and looked at her friend.

"No. At least, not any time soon. I…I think it would complicate things too much. I don't want him to put his position in danger for me…right now, he's able to put me aside because he thinks that his feelings aren't reciprocated. But if he finds out they are, he might do whatever he can to be with me – he's already said that he wants to speak with the council about my position, and I know that won't go over well if I can't talk him out of it. I can't even imagine what he might do if he knows how I feel about him. I won't let him endanger his position as a Jedi," Odessa said, her voice growing a bit stronger as she spoke. She rose from the couch and looked out the window.

"'Dessa, it could work out. I mean, Anakin and I have a wonderful relationship, and it hasn't ruined his position as a Jedi. He's still one of the best there is, and I'm sure it would be no different with Obi-Wan." Padmé walked into the kitchen, watching her friend. Odessa did not turn around. Instead, she thought over what Obi-Wan had said about his apprentice. Headstrong, eager. Vengeful, from what Padmé had told her. None were traits of a good Jedi at all, and a good Jedi wouldn't simply forget about his master when they were done with battle, nor would he neglect his Jedi duties and exercises. While she sensed no evil in Anakin, she couldn't help but wonder if he would really rise to his full potential with Padmé in his life. She turned to her friend.

"I wouldn't want to hold him back. He's worked so hard to accomplish everything he's done with his life, and regardless of whether or not he'd do it, I don't want there to be a possibility that he'd give it all up for me." She entered the kitchen and helped Padmé prepare dinner.

"When did you realize how you felt?" Padmé asked as she cooked.

"It just sort of…happened. He's been very good to me, very attentive and supportive. He genuinely cares about my well-being, and wants me to be happy. It's hard not to fall in love with someone like that," Odessa said. "We have a lot in common, and it just seems that he…well, he completes me, in a way that neither Han nor my Husband could. That's not to say that they both don't have their place. Han is my son, and he's all I could ever ask for in a child. My husband shared my passion for flying and battles, but there was still a part of me that he could never have – the Jedi in me. Obi-Wan shares my passion for strategy, and he also challenges me to be the best Jedi I can be, given the circumstances. There are very few traits that we don't share." As Odessa listed off the reasons she had for caring about Obi-Wan, she felt another surge of pain at his absence.

"Well, perhaps if you reveal your feelings, he'll do whatever he can to get you back into the Jedi order, and then you can do what you love," Padmé suggested.

"That's exactly what he'd do – he's threatening to do that as it is. I don't want that. It would endanger his position and besides, if I do become a Jedi, then what? What about Han? I wouldn't just abandon him. I could never do that. My responsibility to him is the most important thing in my life."

"Well, of course. But what if Han is training to be a Jedi? Surely the council wouldn't deny him because of your situation, would they? He is your son after all, so he could be a Jedi."

"I don't think he is. He has too much of his father in him, and I would know if he could use the force. I would sense it. Regardless, I couldn't use his education as a reason to shirk my responsibilities. Even if I could turn him over to someone and wash my hands of him, I wouldn't want to. I love him too much." Padmé sighed.

"Well, I still think you should tell him. That way, whatever happens you can decide together, instead of worrying what he might do if he knows, because knowing Obi-Wan, he probably knows already," she said.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Odessa replied. "But tell me, how was your month with Anakin?" she asked as they say down to eat.

"Don't think you can weasel your way out of this conversation. You're going to have to tell him eventually, whether you want to or not. But my month with Anakin was absolutely heavenly…" Padmé started on a long and detailed story on her fabulous month with Anakin that lasted through the meal and an hour past. Odessa listened as attentively as possible, but she couldn't keep her thoughts from wandering to Obi-Wan, and hoping he was alright. But one thing Padmé said snapped her back to their conversation.

"…and I was thinking, maybe next time he returns, we'll try starting a family," Padmé said happily. Odessa looked at her, eyes wide, but kept her expression blank as she spoke.

"Padmé, do you think that's wise? I mean, I understand the desire to have a family, but it's very difficult without the father there. Of course I would help you if you needed the help, but I'm sure that your first choice would be to have Anakin here, and he'll be off on Jedi business most of the time. What does Anakin think of that?" Odessa asked.

"Well, I haven't really discussed it with him yet. I'm sure he'll want to be a father, and we'll discuss it before we start trying. But, I think it'll be a good way for me to pass the time waiting for him to return – preparing for a baby and then caring for a baby would probably make the times he's gone go much faster," Padmé replied. Odessa gave her friend a weak smile.

"Well, I need to get going. I'll see you at my place tomorrow?" Odessa asked, rising. Padmé walked her to the door.

"Of course. And then we'll talk about your time with Obi-Wan. You know, you really should tell him how you feel. I'm sure it's not doing anything good for his ego to not know that the woman he loves is in love with him, too. We'll discuss it more tomorrow," Padmé said hurriedly before Odessa could interrupt. Smiling at Odessa's obvious discomfort with the subject, she hugged her friend and Han, then ushered them out.

Odessa returned to her apartment with a lot on her mind. Obi-Wan had told her how preoccupied Anakin already seemed, and to add a child to the situation would only make things worse. And what if something happened to Padmé or the baby? It could be terrible, knowing Anakin's history with his loved ones.

Moments after she returned, she heard the sound of her communicator beeping in the living room. Rushing in, she saw that it was Obi-Wan, as she expected. She sat down in front of it, and when Obi-Wan saw her, he smiled brightly.

"I was worried that I had missed you," he said to her.

"No, I actually just got in. How was your trip?" she asked.

"It went well enough. Unfortunately, no one here really knows anything about Count Dooku's whereabouts, so I think we're going to be chasing our tails here. But maybe I'm wrong, and we'll finally find him. That would be a great relief for the senate and the council."

"Well, I'm glad to hear you arrived safely. Hopefully your mission will be successful," she said to him.

"Right now, I'm just glad to hear your voice. I know it's been less than a day since I saw you, but I can't help missing our time together," he said to her. His eyes were full of emotion, but everything else about him was casual.

"Hush! You don't want to get caught by Anakin saying things like that to someone!" she said to him, but then softened. "I…I miss you already, too," she said in barely a whisper, looking away.

"Well, with any luck, I'll be back soon. Continue with your exercises, so we can pick up where we left off," he said to her, using his best Jedi Master voice. She smiled.

"Yes sir. And don't go getting yourself killed or anything, because I would be very upset with you," she told him. He returned the smile.

"I need to get going, but I'll contact you as soon as I can," he said. "Take care of yourself, and may the force be with you."

"And you, Obi-Wan," she said as his imaged faded away. She put Han to bed, then changed into her Jedi uniform. She went through the strenuous exercises Obi-Wan had taught her the night before, and was surprised to find that they did work her body nearly as much as sparring did. She slipped into a peaceful sleep shortly after.

It was comforting to have things back to normal, and while Odessa did miss Obi-Wan's presence constantly, she couldn't help but enjoy the time she had for her work and her meetings with the younglings, without the anticipation of meeting with the Jedi Master. She once again found the joy in analyzing the battles by herself, coming to her own conclusions without Obi-Wan's influence. He contacted her every day, and they would discuss as much as they could in the time they had, but since his schedule was so sporadic, she never had more than half an hour to speak with him. Yet she never was able to tell him how she felt about him, despite Padmé's almost constant nagging for her to do so. Mostly they spoke about his mission and their progress. Obi-Wan was becoming more and more frustrated as time went by, and three months into their mission, he was practically at his wits' end.

"We're making blind stabs in the dark here! If we're lucky, we'll stumble across a droid army or two, but none of the droids seem to know where their master is. It's madness out here, and I've contacted the council to inform them of the status of this mission. Frankly, they don't seem all that concerned. They haven't any better idea where he is than we do, so I guess they think we'll eventually find him by some stroke of luck. Of course, Anakin's enjoying destroying all the droids we come across, but frankly I'd prefer to have my feet on solid ground, preferably on Coruscant," he told her one evening, exasperated. She saw the frustration written in the creases in his face.

"Well, hopefully something will happen soon. Surely the senate can't approve of two of their finest Jedi and numerous clones just being thrust into space to find one person, and no leads to follow," Odessa said soothingly.

"Supposedly the senate will be having an emergency meeting to discuss the situation, but I'm not holding my breath. Politicians aren't to be trusted, especially with the matters of the Jedi," he said to her. She smiled.

"Well, you've never had a high opinion of Politicians. I'll see what I can find out for you, and I'll let you know. Perhaps Padmé will know some of what's going on," she said.

"Perhaps, but don't get the dear senator in trouble. I know she has a lot on her plate, and I wouldn't want to burden her with the misfortune of two miserable Jedi," he replied.

"Oh, I think she'd be more than happy to find out what's going on if I asked her. She's always thought very highly of the Jedi, and I know she cares for you and Anakin, so I can't imagine she'd take well to the thought that you were being forced into a useless mission."

"Yes, I sometimes wonder if she cares about Anakin's condition a bit too much. Anyway, I have to get going, we're off to another slip of a lead that probably won't be anything at all. I'm sorry to have dumped all my problems on you," he said to her with an apologetic smile.

"Oh, don't worry about it. That's what I'm here for. I'll speak with Padmé, and see if anything useful is going on with the senate. The force be with you, Obi-Wan," she said.

"And you, Odessa," he said. The image faded away, and Odessa immediately contacted Padmé. She had just returned from dinner over at Odessa's apartment.

"Padmé, are you there?" she asked the empty view of Padmé's living room.

"Yes, yes, I'm here, give me a moment," she heard Padmé call from somewhere in the apartment. A moment later, her face appeared.

"'Dessa, is everything alright? I just got home," she said.

"Yes, everything's fine. I just got through talking with Obi-Wan, and he was wondering if Chancellor Palpatine had called any emergency meetings of the senate lately," Odessa told her.

"Actually, yes. He's called one for later this week, concerning Count Dooku. Why? Are Obi-Wan and Anakin in danger?" she replied, worried.

"No, quite the opposite. They're out there searching for him, but they haven't a clue where he might be. Obi-Wan is getting frustrated, and is hoping to be able to return to Coruscant soon, and perhaps continue with the mission once they have a better idea of where he is," Odessa said.

"Well, we're meeting the day after tomorrow – would you like to meet me for lunch after the meeting, and I'll let you know what they've decided?" Padmé asked.

"That sounds wonderful."  
"Alright, meet me outside the Senate around noon – typically the Chancellor won't go past then. We'll grab a bite to eat, and I'll tell you what the decision was," Padmé said. Odessa nodded, and Padmé faded away. She spent the evening playing with Han, then going through her exercises.

The next morning she made her way to the temple as early as possible, and found that Merina had finally stopped spying on her to ensure that she was getting her work done. Relieved, she brought up as much information on Count Dooku as she could find and browsed through it, hoping to pick up any information that the council may have missed. Unfortunately, it appeared that they had been just as thorough as she was, and she came to the same conclusion on where he would be. Frustrated, she went back to her work, wondering where the elusive Count could be. That evening, she told Obi-Wan of her impending meeting with Padmé after the senate meeting.

"Well, I hope they'll have come to some sort of conclusion. It's getting downright boring out here, but we can't return home without the senate and the council's approval. Morale is low since no one knows what's going on, and we haven't had even a hint of luck in finding him. Not to mention I can think of much better ways to spend my time on Coruscant instead of out here," Obi-Wan told her.

"Such as what?" she asked, a bit coyly. He eyed her for a moment before answering.

"Well, such as spending time with you," he said earnestly. "I've missed you so much, Odessa. Forgive me if I make you a bit uncomfortable, but I truly believe that you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I never thought I could connect with someone as well as I do with you. Surely you feel it too?" His eyes searched hers, and she looked away as her face turned a bright red, and she was momentarily speechless. Finally she looked back at him. His eyes were so full of emotion that it was a bit difficult to tell exactly which feeling dominated.

"Obi-Wan, I…" she started, but he cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"I'm sorry, Odessa. It isn't proper, nor is it my place to ask you such a thing. I hope you can forgive me. I have to get going now – thank you for speaking to Padmé for me, and I look forward speaking with you tomorrow. Take care," he said quickly.

"Obi-Wan, I…I mean, take care of yourself," she said to him. For a brief moment she saw a crestfallen look on his face, but it was gone a moment later. He smiled weakly at her through the blank, emotionless mask he wore, and faded away.

Odessa could feel the tears threatening to fall as she stared at the emptiness where Obi-Wan's face had been. Why hadn't she told him? He wanted to know; he was practically begging her to tell him, but she couldn't get the words out. She loved him, yet because of her inability to express it, she could have lost him forever. She went to bed, but got very little sleep.

The next morning Odessa woke, the pain from the events of the night before still stabbing into her gut. She reluctantly got out of bed and made her way to the shower, hoping to drown the memories of her last conversation with Obi-Wan. She wasn't successful, and she went to the temple feeling more miserable than she had in a while. Finally it was time for her to meet with Padmé, and she dragged herself to the Senate meeting hall. She stood among the massive columns, watching the senators leave. Chancellor Palpatine walked past her, and smiled serenely as their eyes met. Yet inside she felt a cold stab of darkness that pushed all other thoughts from her mind. A dark presence surrounded the Chancellor, and Odessa continued to watch his retreating back for a few moments. Confused, she turned back to the exiting senators, and saw Padmé speaking with Bail Organa. Once she caught her eye, Padmé waved and excused herself.

"'Dessa, you look positively dreadful!" she exclaimed, looking at Odessa's distraught expression. Odessa waved her off, casting her an 'I'll-tell-you-later' look. They made their way to a café near the Senate and sat in a booth near the back. After ordering, Padmé turned to her friend, concerned.

"'Dessa, what's wrong? I don't think I've ever seen you so upset," she said.

"First, tell me what went on in the Senate, and then I'll tell you everything," Odessa responded.

"Alright. Chancellor Palpatine is concerned about Anakin and Obi-Wan, but he wants to see if they can find Dooku where they are for a few more months. If they're unsuccessful, he'll bring them back and he said that he personally would help search for Dooku." Padmé told her.

"But nothing now? Well, I suppose Obi-Wan didn't expect anything now…but one more of his hopes will be dashed," Odessa said, looking down.

"One more?" Padmé asked, confused. Their food arrived, and Odessa picked at it.

"Yes. Last night…he, well, he basically asked him how I feel about him. I…I couldn't get it out. I feel terrible now, knowing that he thinks I don't care for him as much as he does me," Odessa said in almost a whisper.

"Oh, 'Dessa," Padmé said sympathetically. "You need to let him know. You don't want to lose what you have with him, but if you think that he feels rejected by you, he'll start pulling away. You can't keep it from him anymore."

"I…I know. I wanted to tell him, believe me. I just couldn't get the words out. He was so…so upset that I couldn't tell him, but he shook it off as if it were nothing. But I know it's not…it's certainly not to me." Odessa lowered her head to her hands.

"Tell him tonight. You have to, 'Dessa. There's no way around it anymore. I know you don't want to lose him." Padmé placed a hand on Odessa's arm.

"I'll try, don't think I won't. But, what if he expects more of me than I can give?"

"He won't. I know Obi-Wan, and he won't ask anything more of you. He already has your love, I don't think he'll want anything more," Padmé said soothingly. They finished their meal making small talk, and Padmé walked her back to the temple.

"Don't worry, everything will turn out for the best," Padmé said to her friend, hugging her.

"That's what my husband said to me, right before he died. So forgive me if I don't believe you," Odessa said, smiling sadly. Padmé gave her an encouraging smile and left. She returned to her work, using the time archiving battles to figure out how she would tell Obi-Wan how she felt. The day went by entirely too fast, and as the clock announced the end of the day, she felt her stomach churning uncomfortably as she left. She picked up Han and met Padmé for dinner, but couldn't eat anything. Han was babbling on senselessly to Padmé, who was overjoyed to see the young boy beginning to speak. Finally she turned to Odessa with a supportive smile.

"Have you figured out how you're going to tell him yet?" she asked.

"Not really…I have an idea, but I just hope that I can get it out," Odessa said.

"I'm sure everything will be fine. Now, go on and tell that man how much you love him," Padmé said teasingly. Odessa shot her an apprehensive look, and Padmé hugged her.

"Obi-Wan won't do anything drastic, no matter what you say to him. He cares about you, so regardless of what you say to him, he won't intentionally do anything to hurt you. Trust me, everything will be alright."

Odessa made her way back to her apartment as quickly as possible, worried that she might miss his call. Putting Han to bed, she paced the living room until she heard the familiar beeping. Rushing over to the couch, she hastily pressed the button. Obi-Wan's face appeared, smiling as he always did every time he saw her.

"Well hello there," he said to her cheerily. If he was concerned with their conversation the day before, he didn't show it.

"Good Evening Obi-Wan. How was your day today?"

"Similar to most that we've had lately – uneventful. But it's better now – what news do you have from the senate?" he asked.

"From what Padmé could tell me, they'll be keeping you out there for a few months, hoping that you'll stumble across Dooku. If there's been no progress, they'll bring you back here, and supposedly Palpatine will personally aid the council in finding him," Odessa said, rushed. She was grateful that they hadn't started talking about their past conversation. Obi-Wan pondered what she has said to him for a moment, then spoke up.

"The council won't be terribly happy about that. They don't want the Senate meddling in their affairs." His expression was grim.

"True, but wouldn't the extra help only be good?" She looked at him questioningly.

"It depends. If the Chancellor truly wants to help us, then of course it would be good. But if he doesn't, then that could mean many more months of searching in the entirely wrong part of the galaxy."

"Why wouldn't he truly want to help us? He's in as much danger from the separatists as anyone else, after all."

"Odessa, don't be naïve. Once Dooku is taken into custody and we have control of the droid army, there will be no need for Palpatine to have as much power as he has now. I'm sure he's quite happy with his permanent place at the head of the Senate, and he won't want to give that up." Odessa thought over Obi-Wan's statement for a moment.

"Well, now that you mention it, I did notice something odd about him today. It was as if he were surrounded by some sort of dark presence. Do you think that has anything to do with the rumor that a Sith Lord is in control of the senate?" she asked.

"A dark presence around Palpatine? It very well might. I'll look into it when I return, whenever that will be. What was he doing when you noticed it?"

"Leaving the senate. And, well, he was smiling at me," she said, remembering his eerie expression as he passed her. Obi-Wan stroked his beard as he thought about it.

"Well, that certainly is curious. I'll mention it to the council after I've done some investigating myself," he said. There was silence for a few moment, and Odessa swallowed. She knew that if she was ever going to tell him, it would have to be now.

"Obi-Wan, I…I wanted to talk to you about the conversation we had yesterday," she started shakily. His eyes snapped to hers, and she noticed a slight coloring fill his face.

"Odessa, it isn't necessary. You don't have to-"

"Yes I do. Perhaps it's been something I've been avoiding for some time, due to my conflicting feelings with Han and my husband. But my husband is gone, and Han, while I love him with all my heart, can't fill all of my needs. It's taken me quite some time to come to terms with everything. Obi-Wan, I…I would be lying to you if…if I said that I didn't care for you," She said, barely listening to what she was saying. By the end, she could tell that her face was beet red, and she couldn't meet his eyes. There was silence for a moment, and Odessa feared that she had been reading Obi-Wan wrong, and that he didn't love her at all.

"Odessa, look at me." His voice sounded husky, and when she looked up, she saw the raw emotion in his eyes.

"I know that I could never be a replacement for your husband. That's not what I want to be. Honestly, I shouldn't want any of the things I do, and it's been tearing me apart ever since I realized how I felt. A Jedi shouldn't form the type of attachment I feel for you, but ever since I met you, I couldn't help but feel that the rules were wrong. I saw how strong you were, how dedicated you were to your training, despite your love for your husband, and knew that the kind of love you felt for him couldn't be wrong for a Jedi. If anything, I think it made you stronger. Being with you has made me stronger, that much I know. There's just too much going now, for both of us I think, and too much at stake, that progressing whatever it is we have further may not be the wisest thing to do. But I think, perhaps sometimes after the war is over, maybe we could start something then." His voice was choppy, as if for the first time he were unsure of himself. Odessa looked at him, smiling.

"Yes, after the war, perhaps we can have something more," she said. He grinned broadly at her. They continued talking for a few minutes more about the battles Obi-Wan and Anakin had engaged in, and then they said goodnight. Odessa made her way to bed feeling as though her feet weren't touching the ground. She slept better than she had in all her time living on Coruscant that night.

The next evening she sat with Padmé in her apartment, barely able to contain her happiness. Yet she kept her expression blank, enjoying Padmé's frustration as she waited for her friend to tell her the news. Finally Padmé's patience ran out.

"Alright, tell me what happened already! It can't be bad, because I know you would have told me if it had been!" she exclaimed. Odessa laughed.

"Yes, I told him. We both decided that it's better not to act on our feelings now though, while the war is still going on. After the war is over, we'll pursue a relationship."

Padmé squealed and jumped up to hug her friend.

"See? I told you everything would work out just fine. And you were so worried that things would go horribly wrong, you silly girl!" Padmé continued babbling on about how wonderful it was and how happy she was for Odessa and Obi-Wan while Odessa just listened. She was happier than she had been in a while, yet was anxious about Obi-Wan's impending call.

"Do you think things will be different between us now?" Odessa asked, feeling extremely unsure of herself.

"Yes and no. The things you love doing together will still be there, but that underlying knowledge that you're doing something with the person you love, so it'll make the experience that much better," Padmé told her.

"I hope you're right," Odessa said apprehensively. Padmé hugged her goodbye shortly before Obi-Wan typically called, and once again Odessa was anxiously awaiting his call. She tucked Han into bed and sat at the couch, counting the minutes until his call. At precisely the same time as every evening, the communicator beeped.

"Hello!" she said to him, a bit more excited than usual. He grinned at the sight of her.

"Good Evening, Odessa," he said to her. They started talking a bit shyly to one another, but soon they were back in the swing of things once Odessa brought up some of the battles she had been analyzing. They spent longer talking to each other than they had in all of the time he had been gone, and it was clear that neither wanted the conversation to end. But end it did, and Odessa went to bed still walking on air.

Three more months passed, and Obi-Wan and Anakin were not successful in finding Count Dooku. Odessa could tell that his frustration with the mission was bringing his temper to almost its breaking point, but she was able to soothe his nerves when they spoke. But one evening Obi-Wan greeted her with such enthusiasm that she knew something was up.

"Odessa! We're coming home!" he told her excitedly. She gasped and brought a hand to her mouth, happiness coursing through her body.

"Obi-Wan, that's wonderful! I mean, it's not good that they kept you out there so long, but it'll be wonderful to have you home again," she said, smiling.

"It'll be wonderful to see you again," he said seriously, studying her face.

"When will you be back? I'll prepare a nice dinner for the two of us, and then we can resume our training," she said excitedly.

"Tomorrow. We'll be in meetings all day, but I'll try to stop by the library at lunchtime to see you. I should be free in the evening."

"Do you think any of your meetings will be with Chancellor Palpatine?" Odessa asked.

"It's possible. If we do meet with him, I'll keep my eyes and ears open for any sign of the darkness you described. But if he is in fact the Sith Lord we've been searching for, he'll probably have trained himself to hide it from the Jedi – you were just lucky to notice it because he didn't think you were a threat. I will also mention it to the council – the more people we have that know about it, the better the chances are that we can figure out what's going on," he said.

They spent the rest of their available time talking about what had been going on with Anakin and Obi-Wan, and it appeared that their call back to Coruscant was long overdue. The morale of the troops had been at an all-time low, and even Anakin had grown weary of the constant plunges into space, only to return with less of a clue than before. No one had any clue of what was going on, and it was practically chaos up there. Odessa couldn't be more thankful that they were returning home, simply for their own safety.

She called Padmé as soon as her conversation with Obi-Wan was over, and wasn't surprised to find that her friend already knew of Anakin and Obi-Wan's homecoming. Padmé was just as excited as Odessa felt, and they spent most of the night talking about what they were going to do once the Jedi returned.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't!" Padmé teased as they said goodnight.

"That's very much what I'm afraid of," Odessa said, smiling. She went through her exercises then made her way to bed, but found that she had a very hard time falling asleep.

The next morning she woke extremely early and was unable to fall back asleep due to the butterflies in her stomach. Reluctantly she pulled herself out of bed and spent the extra time meditating, hoping to calm her nerves. She was somewhat successful, but she couldn't completely shake the anxiety she felt at Obi-Wan's return. She was ecstatic that he was returning home, but a little unsure of what he would want from her. She showered and dressed, fidgeting with her robes to try and make them look their best. She woke Han and fed him, unable to eat herself. Finally it was late enough that she could go to work, so she dropped Han off at daycare and made her way to the library inside the silent halls of the temple.

It was hard for her to concentrate on her work. She couldn't stop thinking about what she would say to him when she first saw him, or how she would react. They couldn't reveal their feelings at the temple – there was far too much at stake to do something like that. But would he smile differently now, or study her face with a different sort of look, now that he knew how she felt? The hours dragged by, and as much as she tried to avoid looking at the clock, she couldn't help get frustrated every time she glanced up to see only five minutes had passed. She knew that once Merina realized that Obi-Wan was returning, she would be constantly watched by the librarian to ensure that her work was getting done. She took a few deep breaths and forced herself to push all thoughts of Obi-Wan from her mind as she worked.

Once she had forced herself into the Jedi mindset, her work went by much faster. Soon the battle-strategy part of her brain had taken over, and she was analyzing each battle with a fiercely critical eye, completely immersed in her work. But as soon as she felt Obi-Wan's familiar presence, everything else stopped. She looked up, and saw him standing at the entrance, talking with one of the younglings. She resisted the urge to run up to him, but it was extremely difficult. Reluctantly turning back to her work, she kept her thoughts on Obi-Wan, and could feel when he approached her desk. She didn't look up as he placed his hands on the cool white marble in front of her, and waited for him to speak before putting her work aside.

"Busy as usual, I see," he said to her, smiling.

"The workings of the Jedi temple do not simply stop because two members have returned from battle," she said in a tone that would have made Merina proud. But as she looked at Obi-Wan, she couldn't hide the happiness she felt at seeing him.

"Nor would I expect them to. However, I wouldn't like to see employees of this fine establishment overworked, so I will expect to see you at the entrance near lunchtime, so I may tell you all about my fantastic travels across the universe. If you're open it, Ms. Sinthea?" His eyes glittered with amusement and joy as she smiled at him.

"Of course, Master Kenobi. Now, as much as I'd love to spend all morning chatting with you, I really must get this work done. I'll see you at noon?" She tried to make her reply sound sarcastic, but the excitement in her eyes gave her a way. Obi-Wan chuckled softly as he looked at her.

"Noon it is, Ms. Sinthea. Do not be late; you're not the only one on a strict schedule," he replied. She watched him walk away, biting her lip to conceal the smile on her lips. Glancing at the clock, she saw that she only had fifteen minutes before she had to meet him. Hastily going through the battle she had been working on, she typed out the basics of the battle, then made her way to the entrance. She straightened out her robes then walked up to Obi-Wan.

"Master Kenobi, shall we?" she asked formally.

"Ah, Ms. Sinthea. Punctual as usual, I see. One might think you look forward to the meetings we have," he said to her as they started down the hallway.

"One might think that. Don't forget, Master Kenobi, it was you and your council that banished me from battle. I have never denied my passion for strategy, and since you so graciously keep me informed as to the goings on of the Jedi, I'll gladly admit that I enjoy meeting with you, for nothing else than I can point out your errors in battle," she retorted. He smirked at her as they entered the cafeteria, but said nothing. They got their food and sat in a particularly secluded area of the large room.

"I trust your flight back was alright?" Odessa asked mildly as she picked at her food.

"It was uneventful, but pleasant. I had many things to think about," he replied, looking into her eyes. She felt a slight shiver go up her spine as she stared into his familiar turquoise eyes.

"I hope only good things," she said, breaking eye contact.

"Oh yes, only good things. It's wonderful to be back on solid ground, for once. It seems as if it's been forever since I've been here."

"Were your meetings with the council and others eventful?" she asked him, hoping he would catch her drift.

"Somewhat, but nothing that would interest someone like you," he replied. She sighed, understanding what he meant.

"So, tell me about these, um, how did you put it? Your 'fantastic travels across the universe.'" She grinned at him. He went into very elaborate detail on some of the battles he had told her about before, making them sound much worse than they actually were. By the end of the lunch hour, both were having trouble trying to conceal their laughter. They walked side by side to the entrance of the library, where younglings were pouring in to study for their tests. He took her hand in his, and whispered just loud enough for her to hear.

"I'll be by the same time tonight. If I'm late, I'll let you know beforehand." She nodded imperceptibly, and he brushed past her. She stood for a moment, calming her thoughts and nerves so she would be able to work again. She approached her desk and saw Merina watching her. Smiling serenely at the woman, she sat down and continued with her work. She forced herself to let go of all thoughts of Obi-Wan and was able to breeze through her work without catching the attentions of the librarian. Finally it was time for her to leave, and she rushed to pick up Han and go home.

Once at home, all the fears and worries about Obi-Wan returned. Her stomach was in knots, and she was initially worried that she didn't have time to do everything she needed to do. Hastily she gave Han a bath and dressed him, then slipped into a simple yet flattering dress. She cooked one of her favorite meals, and just as she placed it on the table, a knock sounded on the door. Feeling her stomach flip uncomfortably, she opened the door. Obi-Wan stood in her doorway, smiling. She ushered him in, and as soon as the door was closed, he pulled her into a tight hug.

"It feels like forever since I last saw you," He said into her hair. She clutched him tightly, afraid that if she let go he'd disappear again. They stayed that way for a few moments, then he held her at arm's length to look at her.

"You're even more beautiful than I remembered," he said softly, looking into her eyes. She blushed, and he laughed.

"You are. It's a wonder some other man hasn't snatched you up while I was away," he told her. "I've dreamt about this day since I left, when I could hold you in my arms and tell you the things you should hear," he said to her, bringing her close again.

"It's so wonderful to see you, too, Obi-Wan," she said in barely a whisper. It didn't seem real to her, that he was actually with her and she was really in his arms.

"Mama?" a tiny voice sounded from the living room. Obi-Wan and Odessa pulled away from each other and looked at the small boy sitting on the floor. He was holding out the large rubber ball. Smiling, Odessa went over to Han and scooped him into her arms.

"Han, can you say hello to Obi-Wan?" she asked him.

"Hi O-Ben!" the small boy said excitedly, waving. Obi-Wan laughed.

"He's still getting the hang of talking. It took him forever to say Padmé's name, and even now it comes out as something like 'Paa-may.' Of course, she thinks it's absolutely adorable," Odessa explained.

"And it is," Obi-Wan responded, taking the boy into his arms. Han shrieked with laughter as Obi-Wan held him high above his head. Placing him back on the floor, Obi-Wan turned to Odessa.

"Shall we begin eating?" he asked. She nodded, and they made their way to the table. Obi-Wan surveyed the meal, which was full of the most delicious looking meats and vegetables imaginable.

"Odessa, you really outdid yourself," he said, awed.

"Well, it's not every day the person one cares about returns home," she said simply. He cast her a sweet smile, then dug into the food. They discussed Obi-Wan's meeting with Chancellor Palpatine during the meal, and while Obi-Wan noticed that he seemed to have a great dislike for the Jedi, he greatly cared for Anakin. He didn't appear to have a dark presence surrounding him, but that could be concealed by the more powerful Sith lords. Obi-Wan promised to continue looking into it, though. Once Odessa had put Han to bed, she joined Obi-Wan in the living room. He sat on the couch, looking at her as she entered.

"Did you want to get some training in tonight?" she asked as she sat beside him.

"In a few minutes. Right now I just want to spend some time with you. Your presence is quite soothing, and I've been very tense these past few months. You kept me sane, you know, just being able to talk to you every night." He took her hands in his.

"Obi-Wan, I'm flattered that you care about me the way you do. I don't think I would have made it through the tougher parts of these past two years if I didn't have you in my life. I wish that I could find the words to express how much your companionship has meant to me; how much you mean to me. I just worry that should we progress our relationship any further, you could be in danger of losing your position within the Jedi, as I was. As much as I care for you, I won't let that happen to anyone else," she said to him. His eyes were full of concern for her, but he smiled.

"Nothing like that will happen. Like we said, we really shouldn't progress things any further until the war is over – I have a feeling the rest of the council wouldn't look down upon a relationship as much when we're not running off to battle every three days. But we could keep it quiet – no one would have to know if it worries you. I know it would get us both in a lot of trouble right now, but we don't need to worry about that yet." His calm voice soothed her nerves, and she smiled at him. They sat together in silence for a moment, then Odessa turned to Obi-Wan.

"Well, I don't know about you, but my muscles could use bit of exercise. I'm going to go change; why don't you prepare the living room. I'll be back in a moment," Odessa said. She got up and headed for her bedroom.

"My dear, are you propositioning me?" Obi-Wan asked, one eyebrow quirked. Odessa grinned at him.

"Of course, my dear Master Kenobi. In the best way possible. Make sure your blade is ready for me." She disappeared into her room, but heard Obi-Wan laughing in the living room as he moved the furniture out of the way. She quickly changed into her Jedi garb and grabbed the lightsaber she had stashed in a high cupboard over her bed. Entering the living room, she saw Obi-Wan stretching in the center of the room.

"Ready?" he asked.

"As I'll ever be," she said, getting into position. Soon they were fiercely battling as Obi-Wan called out the mistakes she made. There were far fewer than Odessa expected, and Obi-Wan seemed genuinely impressed by her style. They continued for three hours before returning, exhausted, to the couch.

"Your form is almost perfect," Obi-Wan said as he tried to catch his breath, "but sometimes you leave your upper torso unprotected once you loose your focus. It's rare and it's very brief, but a good Sith Lord would find it easily."

"Strangely enough, that's the same complaint my master had about my style. We spent years trying to fix it, but I'm not sure how much of it helped," she replied. He smiled at her, then yawned sleepily.

"I suppose I should be going. I'm not sure if I'd feel right, staying her now that we…have something together," Obi-Wan said apprehensively.

"Oh, nonsense. You're exhausted, and I know I can trust you to behave yourself. You did in the past, after all. Let me just get you an extra pillow and blanket, and then you'll be all set," she said to him. She pulled herself up, aching, and he caught her arm.

"You're too good to me, Odessa," he said with a weak smile. He pulled her back onto the couch and gathered her into his arms. She went willingly, unable to let go of him just yet.

"I missed you so much," he whispered softly. Odessa rested her head on his shoulder, unacquainted with the sudden physical contact, but enjoying it already.

"And I you," she said to him. "But we really must get some sleep, or the council will know something is wrong when they hear it from Merina. We can't risk getting her suspicions up again." Obi-Wan reluctantly let go of her, and she brought out some bedding for him to use on the couch. Wishing him sweet dreams, she finally went to sleep in her own bed.

The next morning she met him in the living room for their morning exercises. They sat together silently as they meditated, but both could feel the connection between them growing. Reluctantly Obi-Wan left, promising to see her at noon.

A week passed with nothing to interrupt their brief but wonderful time together. Odessa was able to concentrate on her work, so although Merina kept an eye on her, there was nothing she could criticize. The evenings were pure heaven for both Odessa and Obi-Wan, as they spent them sparring and discussing battles, both those Odessa had analyzed and those that could occur in the near future. Odessa did improve her form, much to Obi-Wan's delight. They were true to their word that their relationship wouldn't progress at all, but the time they had together was still very intense and passionate. One evening, Obi-Wan appeared at Odessa's door with a strange expression on his face. Odessa let him in, and he simply held her for almost ten minutes.

"Obi-Wan, something's bothering you. What is it?" she asked as she finally was released from his grasp.

"They found Dooku. Well, not found so much as know the general area where he is. Chancellor Palpatine 'had it on good authority' that Dooku was in a particular star system, and it turns out he was right. Anakin and I will be leaving within the week," his eyes met hers, and they were full of so much sorrow that Odessa ached for him.

"Well, if you know where he is, then it shouldn't be a difficult mission, and you'll be back soon," she replied, trying to sound optimistic. Obi-Wan shook his head.

"He's just too good at jumping around and hiding. We've been chasing him for years now, and he's still managed to escape us. If they send us out, we'll be lucky if we're back within a year."

"It won't be that bad. They barely kept you out six months this last time, so I doubt it'd be any more than that this time. And besides, if you catch him, you'll get to come back sooner," she said reassuringly. He came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders as she set the table.

"I wish I could have your optimism," he said to her. "I just can't imagine having to leave you again." She turned to him.

"Don't talk like that. We both knew that you would have to leave again, since your first commitment is to the Jedi. All I ask is that you come back to me, so we can have another blissful few days before your next project. Wherever you go, you'll still have me with you in here," she said to him, placing a hand over his heart. He placed his hands over hers and smiled weakly.

"Of course you're right. It's ridiculous that I call myself a Jedi when I become a blubbering mess at the mere thought of leaving you. I should be stronger than this."

"You are. Even the strongest Jedi need to have a person or a place where they can drop their guard and just be themselves for once. You're a wonderful Jedi, so don't ever think differently," she said to him reassuringly. He embraced her once more, then they sat down to eat.

"Honestly though, it will take a miracle for them to bring us home this time. The Senate wants Dooku's head, and I don't think they'll take no for an answer. That means if we don't find him, we're out of luck until we do," He said to her as they ate.

"Well then, you'll just have to find him as soon as possible, won't you? I won't be terribly amused if you leave me again for an undisclosed amount of time," she joked. He finally smiled at her.

"So tell me, how did Chancellor Palpatine know where Dooku was?" she asked.

"That's the funny thing – no one seems to know. He just kept telling us that he had reliable sources and that he was definitely there. A quick scan of the area did show us that there were numerous droid armies in the area, so he's probably right. I would like to know who these sources are, though," he said.

After dinner they practiced as usual, then sat together for an hour to wind down from the exercise. They spent the time talking about nothing in particular, just enjoying the sound of each other's voice.

The next few days saw Obi-Wan growing more and more somber as the details of his mission were decided. The day before his departure finally arrived, and both Odessa and Obi-Wan were trying to keep a positive outlook. In truth, they were both dying a bit inside.

They ate dinner together; the meal oddly silent despite Han's senseless babbling. Instead of sparring, they simply sat together and talked late into the night about the battles to come. Reluctantly Obi-Wan fell asleep, and Odessa gently wrapped the blanket around him before turning in herself. The next morning they went through their exercises together, but it was particularly hard for Obi-Wan to leave.

"I'll contact you as soon as I can, but that could be days, depending on how close we're stationed to the droid armies. I'm sure you'll hear if…if something happens that I can't contact you," Obi-Wan told her.

"Don't say things like that. You'll be fine, and once again you'll be the hero of the galaxy. Nothing will go wrong," she said soothingly. He wrapped one arm around her waist, and used the other to gently work his fingers through her hair.

"I hope you're right. I've just gotten so used to being with you, I can't bear the thought of being without you," he said to her, his voice raw with emotion.

"Obi-Wan, I want you to know that I-" He cut her off by placing a finger to her lips, then gently lowering his face to her own. Their lips met in a sweet, slow kiss that sent fire to every part of her body. His arms snaked around her waist, pulling her closer, yet his lips remained soft and undemanding. Finally they broke apart, both breathless.

"I'm glad I waited until then to do that. I'll need that memory fresh in my mind during the battles to come," he said to her in a husky whisper. She smiled slightly, and wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug. He pulled back a little, his eyes burning her face into his memory, and then he was gone. She watched his back retreating, her mind still swimming from the passionate kiss he had just given her. She finally mustered up the strength to go on with her daily chores and went into the nursery to wake Han.

Two days passed before Odessa heard from him. They had been difficult, emotion filled days, but at least she had Padmé to commiserate with. Her friend had been moody and emotional since Anakin's departure, but she was still the loyal and caring friend that Odessa had always had. When Odessa finally heard Obi-Wan's voice over the communicator telling her that he was alright, they two women had spent the evening shedding tears of joy and laughing about their stupidity for worrying over them. Obi-Wan's schedule was still a bit sporadic, but he promised to contact Odessa as often as he could. By the time they had been gone for two weeks, Odessa had gotten used to Obi-Wan's absence, but Padmé's mood had only worsened. One evening, Padmé appeared at Odessa's door, frantic. Odessa brought her inside and sat her down, encouraging her to take a few deep breaths and to calm down. Finally, her friend was calm enough to speak.

"'Dessa, I'm pregnant."

So, was that enough fluff for everyone:-)

Rachel Sparrow – Thank you so much for reviewing! I hope this chapter met up to your expectations!

Mirielle – Isn't baby Han adorable? I love writing him. Now, to address your comments – Obi-Wan doesn't want anyone to know that he was training anyone, plus Odessa was already used to a real lightsaber. Trust me, it'll be important later in the story. As for the "hardest battle of his life comment," well, he was exaggerating a little. Of course he's had more strenuous battles in his lifetime, but he likes making her happy, even if she doesn't believe him :-).


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Disclaimer – only Odessa and the plot are mine!

Responses to reviews below!

A note about the timeline – As I'm sure you've all figured out, we're getting to the part of the story that takes place at the same time as the movie. Just a reminder – there are _Revenge of the Sith_ spoilers in here, so if you haven't seen the movie and don't want anything ruined, you might want to stop reading this now. Anyway, when I saw the movie, it seemed to me that it took place in the span of about four days. Now, this didn't really make sense to me when covering Padmé's pregnancy, because it means she gave birth when she was only five months pregnant, but I'm assuming that there's some sort of technology out there that was able to deliver them safely. Or maybe the gestation period is shorter for Padmé's particular breed of human :-). Either way, that's what I've based this story on – that the movie took place in the span of approximately four days on Coruscant. Now, on to the next chapter!

"Does Anakin know?" Odessa asked immediately, the words popping out of her mouth automatically. Padmé buried her face in her hands.

"I…I just found out today. We didn't really get a chance to talk about it, even though I kept meaning to discuss it with him. It just sort of…happened." Odessa hugged her friend sympathetically, but internally, her mind was reeling. How would Anakin take the news? And how exactly would he respond? Would he leave the Jedi in order to care for his child, or would he let Padmé take the full responsibility on herself so that he could continue with his chosen path? Or, perhaps the worst possibility, would he try to be both the caring father and the model Jedi? He would certainly drive himself mad if he tried to take on both roles.

"'Dessa, what am I going to do?" Padmé asked tearfully. Odessa thought for a few moments before answering.

"Well, I think it'll be best if you don't tell him yet. I know they're under a lot of pressure looking for Count Dooku, and you don't want to add to that. Really, there's nothing you can do about it now, so don't fret. We'll get you ready for his return, and when he's back, you can tell him. This is a happy time for you – don't be so upset."

Padmé gave her friend a watery smile and hugged her. Odessa fixed her a hot cup of tea to calm her down and they began discussing how they could rearrange Padmé's apartment for the baby.

"I might go back to Naboo to have my baby. I've always imagined being in the lake country, surrounded by my family when I have my first child. I know Anakin loved it there, too, so he probably wouldn't have a problem with that. I'd come back here, of course, after the baby is old enough to travel. This is my home now, even though I still love it back there. I hope Anakin can be with me when the baby is born – I know that would be important to him. Do you think they'll be back before the baby is born?" Padmé asked, a bit wistfully.

"I think so. Obi-Wan says that they have a pretty good idea of where Dooku is, and hopefully they'll be home soon. They're the best, so they'll be able to capture Dooku in no time. I'm sure Anakin will be able to be with you when your child is born," Odessa said, hoping she was right. She had been through a birth without her child's father, and even with Obi-Wan's help it had been painful to know that her husband should have been with her.

The next two months were difficult. Padmé was often moody and irritable, and while Odessa tried her best to support her friend, sometimes she was just impossible to get along with. Of course, Odessa would always receive a tearful apology shortly after any of their spats, and Odessa welcomed her friend back with open arms. She understood the pressure that Padmé felt.

On top of Padmé's troubles, it was soon clear that Obi-Wan and Anakin were in quite a bit of danger with their current mission. Obi-Wan's messages were typically quick and sporadic – while he was usually able to contact Odessa at least once a week, the timing always changed and he could never speak to her for more than ten minutes. Yet she treasured the time she had to speak with him and tried to keep her spirits up, even when she didn't hear from him. The bond she had with him was very strong, and she felt that she would know if the worst happened. Luckily for Odessa, she was able to put all of her troubles aside when she worked, throwing herself into the battles she was analyzing for the archives. But one morning she noticed that the temple was more active than usual, and then she received a panicked message from Padmé.

"Chancellor Palpatine has been kidnapped by Count Dooku!" her friend told her breathlessly. Odessa's eyes grew wide.

"Kidnapped? But why?" she asked.

"We don't know. Probably to force him to settle with the separatists or something like that. All we know is that it was Dooku, and no one knows where he's taken him," Padmé said.

"Well, I'm sure the Jedi will make finding him their highest priority. I'll see what I can find out here, and hopefully Obi-Wan will contact me soon and let me know what's going on from his point of view. This could be a good thing for both the Jedi and the Senate – with the extra efforts to find Palpatine, we'll probably capture Dooku, too," Odessa said. Merina walked by, shooting Odessa one of her fiercest glares. Odessa swallowed.

"I need to get back to work, but tonight I'll tell you everything I can find out," she said hurriedly. Padmé nodded and disappeared. Odessa returned to her work, then slipped into the hallway at lunchtime. Instead of heading straight for the cafeteria, she lingered in the hallway waiting for some of the masters to pass by. Once they did, she made her way behind them, trying to listen while at the same time appearing uninterested.

"Obi-Wan and Anakin have volunteered to search for the Chancellor, since they're searching for Dooku anyway. They said that they won't need any backup, but you know both of them, especially Anakin. They can both be a bit reckless," Master Windu was saying to Master Yoda.

"Trust them both, I do. But reckless they can be. However, they are capable of this mission," Master Yoda replied. They turned the corner, and as tempted as Odessa was to follow them, she continued to the cafeteria. She was filled with worry for Obi-Wan and Anakin, knowing that they were facing Dooku without any additional Jedi to back them up. She ate her meal quickly, then returned to work. The day went by quickly as she pondered on what to tell Padmé and what she would talk about with Obi-Wan, should he contact her. She picked up Han from daycare and met Padmé at her apartment. Her friend appeared very concerned. She let her in, and Padmé sat on the couch, playing with Han as Odessa prepared dinner.

"Did you find out anything?" Padmé asked.

"Yes, though I don't think you'll like it. Apparently in their testosterone driven urge to prove themselves, Obi-Wan and Anakin have volunteered to return the Chancellor, since they're looking for Dooku anyway. What's worse, they claimed that they don't need any backup. While I don't doubt their capability, they should ask for help if it's offered. Why, if I was there, I'd smack them both around," said Odessa, annoyed. As upset as Padmé was by the situation, she couldn't help smiling at her friend's statement. Odessa prepared a light meal for the two of them as Padmé scrutinized the slight bump in her stomach. Han was sitting beside her, trying to tell her about his day. Padmé feigned interest, but it was obvious to Odessa that she was concerned for her husband. She brought dinner to the table and ushered them both over to eat. Han rushed over, but Padmé lingered on the couch.

"How am I supposed to eat with this on my mind? The senate will be in shambles if Chancellor Palpatine is killed, since they rely on him so much. And Anakin's in so much danger! I think I'm going to be sick," she moaned, pulling herself up.

"Padmé, you know you have to eat. Don't you want your baby to be nice and healthy? You know you need to take care of yourself," Odessa chastised. Padmé shot her a glare, but softened after a moment. She made her way to the table and began eating. They ate in silence, both thinking about the Jedi chasing after Dooku.

"I hope I hear from Obi-Wan soon. I don't like not knowing what's going on there," Odessa said after a few minutes. "I know they're perfectly capable of handling this mission, but I know I'll feel a lot better once I hear his voice. Have you heard from Anakin?" Padmé shook her head, saying nothing as she stared down at her plate. Odessa felt a surge of sympathy for her friend. The stress she felt for the senate, for her child and for her husband had to be absolutely devastating. She didn't stay long after the meal was over, and Odessa felt helpless since she couldn't ease her friend's pain.

The next few weeks did not bring any comfort. Odessa hadn't heard from Obi-Wan at all, and there were rumors going around among the younglings that he and Anakin had been killed. However, she hadn't heard any of these rumors verified by the masters, so she didn't think they were true. And she could still feel Obi-Wan, couldn't she? She had thought that she would know if he were truly gone, but she wasn't quite sure anymore. She knew she had to tell Padmé about the rumors, but she hated to upset her anymore. They met for dinner, and as much as Odessa tried to soften the blow, the news that Anakin might be dead did not go over well.

"Do…do you think they're true?" Padmé asked her tearfully.

"No. I…I think I would know if it were. At least, I know I would have heard something from the Masters, and their conversations have been frightfully boring recently. I'm sure if something had happened, I would have heard it from someone of merit," Odessa said comfortingly. Padmé's tears slowed, but she was still visibly upset. They spent the evening trying to keep their minds off of the situation with Anakin and Obi-Wan, but they weren't entirely successful.

Two more months passed without any news from the Jedi. Padmé's moodiness had morphed into a sullen depression, and while she still saw Odessa every day, Odessa could tell that her friend was not doing well. The light had disappeared from her eyes, and it had been a very long time since she had heard her friend laugh or seen her smile. She seemed to be going through the motions of life, but she was really just a shell of the person she had been. Odessa was worried about how much Padmé relied on Anakin for her purpose in life, but she didn't mention anything. It seemed as if Padmé had enough to deal with.

It didn't seem real to Odessa when she heard that Anakin and Obi-Wan were finally returning home. All time had seemed to stop as she turned to the group of younglings crowded around Master Yoda as he hobbled into the library, telling them how the two Jedi had recovered Chancellor Palpatine and were returning to Coruscant. As the words finally sunk in, a rush of emotions flooded her body. Hurriedly she sent Padmé a message telling her that they were returning, and kept her ears open for any news whatsoever. Nothing had occurred by lunchtime, and she spent the meal picking at her food and staring at the door, hoping to see some sign of Obi-Wan or Anakin. There was no sign of them, and she dejectedly returned to her work. She tried to concentrate on the battles, but found herself watching the entrance for most of the afternoon. Finally she felt the familiar tingle of Obi-Wan's presence, and looked up. He was walking into the library, looking directly at her. He shot a look over to the tall shelves in the back of the library, and she rose, pushing a cart of books over in that direction. Once she met him there, she threw her arms around him.

"We were so worried about you," she said to him as he wrapped his arms around her tightly. Reluctantly he pulled away before anyone noticed.

"I wanted to contact you, believe me. This last bit of fighting actually took place right around Coruscant. We were just so swamped with the droids that I had to forget about everything else but the battles – we couldn't risk any distractions. We had many close shaves, and I know that if I hadn't had Anakin with me, I wouldn't have made it," he told her seriously. He had the look of a battle-weary soldier, but the glimmer of happiness was beginning to shine through his eyes as he looked at her.

"I understand. There were rumors that you'd been killed, but I didn't believe them. I…I figured I'd know if you were really dead," she said, looking away.

"It'll take more than a few droids to kill me," he joked with her. She smiled.

"Well, you were also facing a Sith Lord, which isn't something to sneeze at. What happened to Count Dooku? Were you able to capture him?"

"Not exactly. I'll tell you all about it tonight – I've got to check in with the council. But I wanted to see you and let you know that I'm alright," he said to her. She smiled at him as he squeezed her arm, then left. She started walking to her desk, but was cut off by an irritated Merina.

"Ms. Sinthea. What did I say to you about neglecting your work for the company of Jedi Masters?" she said, fuming.

"Merina, let me ask you something. Has my work ever not met your expectations? Have I not shown myself to be a dedicated and loyal worker in the time I've been here? Master Kenobi is my friend, and it was common knowledge that his last mission was particularly dangerous. I was understandably concerned about him, so of course I would try to speak with him. That does not mean I am not dedicated to my work, nor does it mean I do not know my place," Odessa said matter-of-factly. The woman blanched.

"I sometimes suspect that as much as you're reminded of your place, you forget it once the words grace your ears. Take care to not forget, and bear in mind that it is not your job to befriend the members of this temple. You are no longer one of them, you work for them. Should this come up once more, I will bring it to the attentions of the Jedi Council," Merina said in a very cold voice. Odessa looked at her calmly, determined to not show the frustration she felt towards the woman. She nodded wordlessly and returned to her desk. She started working again, elated that Obi-Wan was alright, but furious at Merina for chastising her. It seemed to her that the librarian was the one who needed to learn her place.

Odessa's thoughts wandered to Padmé. She hadn't received a message from her friend, so she imagined that Padmé had tried to see Anakin when he returned. She wondered how Anakin would react to the news that he was going to be a father, if Padmé even told him. She knew Padmé would, since she wasn't the type of person to keep things from Anakin. She went through her work as quickly as possible, but was eager to leave by the end of the day approached. She hurried out of the library, aware of Merina's eyes on her as she left. She picked up Han then made her way to the apartment. She was surprised to find Obi-Wan waiting outside. Han hurried over to him shouting "Oben! Oben!" as Odessa opened the door and let him in. He scooped Han up in his arms and entered the apartment. The little boy giggled and starting telling Obi-Wan about his day as the Jedi Master settled on the couch. Odessa sat beside him and they played with Han for a bit before turning their attentions to each other. Obi-Wan gently pulled Odessa into his arms and held her for a few moments in silence.

"I'm glad to be back here," he finally said. "At least this last mission was an eventful one – a bit too eventful, I think. The last standoff was particularly grueling – we were able to track down the chancellor because of his homing signal, but it wasn't east to get to Dooku's ship. Once we finally got within firing range, we were covered with vulture and buzz droids, and the buzz droids nearly did me in. If it wasn't for Anakin, they would have – he was able to brush them off me. The silly boy first tried firing at them, but that certainly wasn't helpful. We got into the ship and located Palpatine, but of course Dooku had made him the bait for a trap to catch us. Both Anakin and I faced Dooku, but unfortunately he, er, dispatched of me rather quickly – I've still got the bump on the back of the head to prove it. The next think I knew, I was slung over Anakin's back, hanging in an upturned elevator shaft. I knew then that Dooku was dead, but at least the chancellor was safe. We headed for an exit, but got caught and were eventually escorted to General Grievous, the new leader of the droid army, now that Dooku is dead. After Anakin made some cocky comments we had to fight our way to the controls, but by that time Grievous was gone and we came crashing down here. I must say, I'm very proud of Anakin. We were in some tight situations there, and he was able to pull us through spectacularly. He's becoming quite a wonderful Jedi."

"I'm sure you were spectacular, too," Odessa replied.

"Well, I managed to keep myself alive, but just barely. Anakin has far more power with the force than I do, I just hope he can reach his full potential. He's still a bit headstrong and emotional at times, but I think he'll be able to control that as he grows. I know I was the same way when I was his age."

Odessa doubted that. She knew, from what Padmé had told her, about Anakin's emotional fits and knew that Obi-Wan wasn't capable of such anger or jealousy. While he had admitted his feelings to her, she could see that deep down his first commitment was to the Jedi, and no matter what happened with their relationship, his status of a Jedi would always be first. For Anakin, Padmé was first. It was wonderful for Padmé, but terrible for Anakin as a Jedi.

"With Dooku gone and Grievous in hiding, will the war end?" she asked.

"I wish it would, believe me. But unfortunately Palpatine won't let go of his power over the senate until Grievous is found and the droid army crippled. I'd love to just have some time to relax here, though." He smiled at her affectionately.

"I suppose Grievous wouldn't just stay in hiding anyway. Ah well, life's more exciting with a war on, that's for sure," Odessa said lightheartedly, standing.

"Let me prepare a quick meal, and then we can eat," she said. Obi-Wan nodded and turned to Han, using the force to float a ball over the boy's head. As usual, Han was delighted. They ate dinner while Obi-Wan told Odessa about the mission. After the meal was over Odessa put Han to bed, and she and Obi-Wan sat together on the couch. He gingerly wrapped his arms around her and she settled against his body.

"I hope you don't think I was too forward the last time I was here," he said softly.

"Not at all. It was…wonderful," she said to him, smiling.

"After the battles were over, all I could think of was you. I couldn't help wondering what you were doing, picturing you working in the library with that intense look of concentration on your face. It was definitely a nice way to cool down after the rough battles we had," he said to her.

"They sound like they were certainly memorable battles. I sometimes wish I could actually be there, instead of just analyzing them."

"Sometimes, I think it would be nice to just be sitting around and letting someone else take care of things. I wouldn't have to worry about some strange cyborg trying to electrocute me or any Sith Lords holding me hostage. And then I could concentrate on other things in my life," he said, pulling her a bit closer.

"You'd get bored of it after a while. I imagine that if I didn't have Han in my life, I'd be going crazy with boredom. A Jedi is trained to spend their time jumping from place to place, saving the galaxy. It's not in our nature to be happy staying in one spot, no matter how wonderful it sounds."

"I can't imagine time with you would ever be boring," he replied.

"Oh, it would be. After a while, the thought of sitting at home with me and Han would pale in comparison to flying around droid ships with Anakin. Besides, I wouldn't let you do that anyway. Just because I lost my place within the Jedi because of love doesn't mean you have to. I know how important it is to you; I remember how important it was to me. I was devastated when I had to stop. I'll be here for you whenever you need me, but I won't let you put me above your status as a Jedi," she told him seriously, looking him in the eye.

"You're more important to me -" he started, but she cut him off.

"No I'm not. You care for me, quite a bit. But you've known me for two years, whereas you've been a Jedi for most of your life. I don't need to be first in your life, I just want to be part of it. I loved my husband, but he wasn't first – being a Jedi was."

Obi-Wan sighed, knowing he couldn't contradict her.

"I want you to be part of my life. Someday, we will be together," he told her firmly. She smiled.

"I hope so," she said. He squeezed her a bit, then let go of her.

"Did you want to get some training in? I'm still a bit sore, but I think I'll be alright for some light sparring," he asked.

"Of course, though I think your definition of 'light sparring' is more like 'complete and total workout' for me, but that should be fine. Let me get ready." She went to her bedroom and changed, fastening her hair up and grabbing her lightsaber. She met him in the living room and they began sparring. For three hours Obi-Wan tested her style and reflexes until she was about to collapse.

"You're still leaving your chest wide open at times. Tomorrow we're going to work on that, and hopefully we can lessen it. It seems to be somewhat ingrained in you, though," he said seriously.

"I try, but like you said before, when I lose my focus, the transitions just seem to do that. What I really need to do is work on keeping my focus," she said with a slight frown. He placed a finger under her chin.

"You're doing wonderfully. Hopefully you'll never need to use this, anyway. I just think it's good to keep your mind and body in shape, in case you do need it. But you're safe here," he told her sweetly. She smiled.

"Let me get you a pillow, and then we can both get a good night's rest. I'm sure you'll be busy tomorrow, trying to find General Grievous. I just hope they don't ship you out again too soon," she said. She got the extra pillow and blanket she had put aside for him and brought them out to the couch. As she went to leave, Obi-Wan pulled her into his arms.

"Sometimes I wish that we could just forget that the war was going on, and that I needed to fight in it," he whispered into her hair. She held him tightly.

"I do, too," she said. He kissed her lightly on the forehead, and they went to sleep. The next morning they woke and went through their exercises together.

"I'll need to meet with the council today and explain what's going on with the droid army. With their leader gone, they'll be in disarray until Grievous takes firm control over things. I'll try to meet you for lunch, though, since it shouldn't last long. However, we do have a meeting with Chancellor Palpatine in the morning, and if that takes long, I might get delayed. I'll try and let you know if I'm going to be late," he said to her as they parted ways. He hugged her goodbye and she went to wake Han. After a quick breakfast, she dropped Han off at daycare and arrived at the temple early. She got to work, trying to appear unconcerned as Merina repeatedly glared at her and walked by to ensure that she was working. At lunchtime, she met Obi-Wan right outside the entrance. His face was creased with concern.

"What's wrong?" she asked as they sat down to eat.

"Anakin. He was late to the meeting today, and now he's speaking with Chancellor Palpatine. All of us on the council feel that there's something strange about Palpatine, and as it is the council doesn't trust Anakin. I worry that he's getting too cozy with the chancellor, and further away from the council," Obi-Wan said. Odessa thought for a moment, concerned.

"Well, perhaps if he can bridge the gap between the Chancellor and the council, we'll be able to figure out what's behind the dark presence around the senate," she said hopefully. He cast her a sad smile.

"If you're right about Palpatine, then it may only cause the source to be hidden further. Anakin can be very loyal, and he'll fight tooth and nail if someone speaks out against someone he cares about. It's one of his biggest failings – he cares about the people around him too much. It's not that he can't care for them, but it shouldn't come before his role as a Jedi. He doesn't quite understand that. We're meeting with the council this afternoon to discuss what Palpatine had to say…as it is I know Anakin won't take well to that. He knows that the council doesn't trust him or the Chancellor."

"He has great power. Perhaps if the council put a bit more trust in him, he would rise to the occasion," she replied.

"I agree. However, I am not the only voice on the council, and I must side with them, whatever they choose," Obi-Wan said. Odessa cast him a sympathetic smile. They finished their meal and parted ways formally, and Odessa returned to the library. Once again, Merina was glaring at her, but she pretended not to notice. She kept a steady pace, but left as soon as possible. She picked up Han and rushed home, picking up dinner on the way. When she arrived, she had just enough time to set the table before Obi-Wan arrived. If possible, he looked worse than he had at lunchtime.

"I take it you don't come bearing good news?" she asked as he entered and dropped onto a chair.

"Not at all. Anakin was appointed to be Palpatine's personal representative on the council," he started.

"Well, that's wonderful for Anakin, isn't it? He's a Master now," she said hesitantly. Obi-Wan sighed.

"It would be good for him, if that had been the outcome. However, the council doesn't approve of the Chancellor interfering with the council's business. They put him on the council, but they did not grant him the rank of Master. As you can probably imagine, Anakin was very insulted. True, he's not ready to be a Master, especially with the blatant display of anger and jealousy he showed this afternoon, but he's like a brother to me. I hate to see him hurt." Obi-Wan toyed with the food Odessa had placed in front of him, but didn't eat any.

"Well, he'll get the rank soon enough. He just needs a little patience, and as soon as he's gained the trust of the council, they'll give him the rank," Odessa replied.

"It gets worse. Ever since Qui-Gon was killed by the Sith, Palpatine has watched over Anakin practically as a son. The council doesn't trust Palpatine, but they see that Palpatine trusts Anakin. The council basically asked Anakin to spy on the Chancellor and report everything back to them as a way of proving his trust to the council. As you can imagine, that went over even worse. I felt terrible, especially since the council asked me to talk to Anakin about it. It isn't really an 'official' mission, so I had to ask him right as he was in an emotional state over the fact that he hadn't been granted the title of Master. I'm not sure how much help he'll be to the council – he's quite fond of Palpatine, and I don't think he'll willingly turn over information about him, regardless of what he finds out."

Odessa gave him a sympathetic look as they ate in silence. Han had fallen asleep in his high chair as Obi-Wan had talked, so Odessa gently carried him to his crib. When she returned, Obi-Wan had placed the dishes in the sink and was sitting on the couch. She joined him.

"Perhaps Anakin will think things over tonight, and realize that he was overreacting this afternoon. Being on the council is a high honor as it is, so he should be grateful for that. Surely he realizes that he's very lucky to be there, at his age?" she asked.

"I wish he would. Sometimes he seems consumed with the fact that he's so powerful. But raw power won't get him anywhere – he needs to learn how to harness it and use it for good. He's strong, but reckless." Obi-Wan took her hand in his.

"Perhaps…now I'm not saying that he deserves it, because he certainly doesn't, but perhaps if the council had made him a master, he would realize how essential he is to the Jedi, and work harder to be better at being a Jedi. He certainly would have trusted them more if they had done that," she said tentatively.

"It is not the council's job to gain the trust of the Jedi – all Jedi should trust the council! If anything, Anakin should be happy that he's even allowed to sit in on the meetings!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. Odessa placed a soothing hand on his cheek.

"You're right. It just seems that if he doesn't trust the council and if the council doesn't trust him, we won't be able to get anything done. Someone needs to make the first move to build that trust," she said softly. Obi-Wan calmed instantly and pulled her into his arms.

"I hope he will. Despite my fierce arguments to the council that he can be trusted, I don't think they'll believe it until they see that he's trustworthy with their own eyes. I just hate to see him upset like this – it always brings out the worst in him, and that's not the first impression he wants to make on the council."

They sat together for a few moments, neither saying anything, until Obi-Wan finally suggested that they get some sparring in. He was a bit stricter that evening than he had been in the past, but Odessa understood his frustration. If his apprentice was misbehaving, it would reflect badly on him. He wanted to prove to himself that he was a capable teacher. They went to bed later than normal, but both were satisfied by how the workout went.

The next morning Odessa could tell that Obi-Wan was still wary about Anakin's behavior. Anakin had contacted him early, claiming that Palpatine had told him where General Grievous was. The council was meeting to discuss how to use this information, but Obi-Wan promised to let her know what was going on as soon as he knew. They sat down to a quick breakfast before he had to leave.

"Well, I hope they don't send you out today. It's Han's birthday today, and I was hoping that we could possibly throw him a little bit of a party. I can't really remember any birthday parties from my youth, but since Han has a family here, I think it'd be fun. Nothing big or anything, but I'd like to do something," she said to Obi-Wan, a bit shyly. Obi-Wan grinned broadly at her.

"Of course we can do something for the birthday boy! I doubt the council will have anyone leaving right away – they'll want to verify Palpatine's information and come up with a plan. That will take at least a day. What did you have in mind?" he asked.

"Nothing very big. Perhaps a small cake and a few presents – I was going to pick up some on my way home from work. Mostly I just wanted to spend some time where he was the center of attention, because I know he enjoys that," she said.

"It's a date. I'll be here tonight, ready to celebrate with the little man. I'll see you at lunchtime." He brushed a quick kiss to her cheek and left.

The day went by quickly. She received a brief message from Obi-Wan saying that he couldn't meet her for lunch due to meetings with the council, but she kept herself busy regardless. Working through her lunch hour allowed her to leave early, so she stopped by some shops and picked up a birthday cake along with a toy spaceship, knowing Han would enjoy it. She picked up her son, who was decorated in multicolored ribbons from his celebrations at daycare, and took him home. She gave him a quick bath then freshened up herself, waiting for Obi-Wan. He came bearing two large sacks and a third, smaller sack.

"I wasn't sure what you wanted me to bring, so I stopped by a restaurant and picked up some dinner. I also got something for the birthday boy," he said, placing the bags down and going over to Han. The boy held up his arms, and Obi-Wan picked him up and held him over his head. The boy squealed with delight, and started laughing loudly as Obi-Wan swung him back into his arms and began ticking him. They kept at it for a few moments as Odessa watched on, amused. Finally all three sat at the table for dinner.

"This really is wonderful, Obi-Wan. It must have cost you a fortune," Odessa told him as they ate.

"It wasn't as bad as you're thinking, most likely. But really, how often does a little boy turn two? He's definitely out of his baby years, now," Obi-Wan replied.

"Yes, and I'm sure he'll live up to the 'terrible twos;' he's already a handful," she said, smiling. Obi-Wan laughed. Then his expression turned serious.

"Odessa, they're sending me to Utapau to find Grievous. Palpatine has it on good authority that he's there, but they can't afford to send anyone else – Anakin wanted to be the one to go, but the council wants him to stay behind and keep tabs on Palpatine. The Chancellor was right on Dooku's location, so I'd say he's probably right with Grievous, too. I just wish Anakin was going with me – his support has gotten me through many difficult situations." He gave Odessa an apologetic look.

"I'm sure you'll be fine. At least you're here tonight, and I'm sure it won't be a long mission. Grievous isn't a challenge for you – you've beaten some very powerful Sith. Just let me know what you're up to when you can," she said to him. He smiled.

"I'll do what I can. So what do you think, Han? Is it time for cake and presents?"

"Yesh!" the little boy exclaimed, clapping. Odessa brought the cake over from the kitchen and lit two small candles on it. Han blew them out spectacularly, and Obi-Wan cut each of them a piece. Once they were finished, a very-hyper Han bounced around in his chair as Obi-Wan and Odessa brought gifts to him. He was very entertained by the small spaceship his mother had gotten for him, just as she'd hoped he'd be. Obi-Wan's package contained four things – three brightly colored rubber balls and one orb made of metallic wires. The wires could be folded into and out of the center of the orb, creating many different shapes. Han was intrigued by it right away, and spent five minutes playing with it before holding it up to Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan laughed, and held out his hand. The orb floated just out of Han's reach, slowly shifting shapes as it rotated around his head. Han was ecstatic at the antics of his new toy, and watched it until he dropped off to sleep almost ten minutes later. Odessa brought him to bed, then sat beside Obi-Wan.

"I never really pictured what it would be like to have a family," he said to her wistfully. "But if every day was as fulfilling as this evening was, it'd be well worth giving up everything I have."

"Han is amazing. He's made my life so wonderful; so full of love and life that I couldn't picture it any other way. But it's hard to make that decision, and I wouldn't ask that of you," she said to him. "You couldn't leave the Jedi, regardless of what you think right now. It's too much of who you are. I was forced to change, but you're not. Part of why I care for you so much is that you're so dedicated to the Jedi, and I wouldn't want to take that away from you," she replied, giving him a hard look. He sighed somewhat contentedly and held her in his arms.

"I think it'd be nice to be a father. It'd be similar to training an apprentice, but you don't have to teach them how to fight and kill things," he said.

"Oh, it's much more difficult. They come to you already able to bathe themselves, clothe themselves and able to use a bathroom. Your own children require your complete concentration at all times, yet they'll rarely listen to you. Believe me, having an apprentice is a piece of cake compared to raising your own child," she said, smiling.

"I have no doubt, though my own apprentice certainly has been a handful as of late. But it must be very fulfilling to watch your child grow and turn out alright."

"It's the best thing I've ever done," she replied simply. They talked late into the night about the few memories they had of their families, as well as the relationships they had with their masters. They drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.

Odessa woke the next morning in her own bed, confused. She finally pieced together that Obi-Wan must have carried her in, but he was nowhere to be found. Sleepily she rose and walked into the hallway, noticing Han's door was ajar. Peeking in, she saw Obi-Wan watching her son sleep.

"You would have made a wonderful father," she said to him. He turned to her and smiled.

"Well, I don't know about that. But perhaps one day I'll have the honor of being someone's father, or at least, their stepfather," he said to her. Odessa blushed, but it wasn't noticeable in the early light. Obi-Wan pulled her to his chest and held her gently as they watched the sun slowly lighten the nursery. Once it was light enough, they made their way to the kitchen for breakfast.

"I'll be leaving shortly before noon today. It's a solo mission, so I may not be able to contact you, but I'll do what I can. I'll have a large group of clones with me, so that will help quite a bit, but we wont really have our own base, so to speak. I'll definitely contact you once I'm on my way back safely," he said after they finished their breakfast. They lingered at the door, not quite ready to say goodbye.

"I know everything will be fine," Odessa told him, but there was a lingering fear in her stomach that she wouldn't see him again. He placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Don't you worry about me. Take care of yourself, and I'll be back before you know it. I just hope Anakin will be able to prove his faithfulness to the Jedi while I'm gone. I'm going to stop by Padmé's apartment before I return to the temple – I know he cares for her, or at least will listen to her. Maybe she can knock some sense into him while I'm gone. I'll see you soon." He kissed her softly on the forehead and left. The feeling of uneasiness only grew. She showered and dressed, then brought Han to daycare before returning to the temple. She started on her work, but the lingering dread in the pit of her stomach kept growing, and by midmorning it was so distracting that she couldn't concentrate on her work. Against her better judgment and knowing that Merina would be furious with her, Odessa slipped out of the library and made her way to the main hangar. She could see that Obi-Wan was still there, talking with Anakin right outside his fighter. Rushing towards them, she slipped behind a wall until Anakin left.

"Goodbye, old friend. May the force be with you," she heard Obi-Wan say to Anakin. Anakin walked past her, not even noticing she was there. Once he was gone, she walked over to Obi-Wan. When he saw her he pulled her behind the wing of his fighter.

"Odessa, what are you doing here? You know Merina will have your head if she sees you here," he said, concerned.

"I…I just wanted to wish you luck before you left. For some reason I just have an uneasy feeling about this mission. It's something I've never felt before."

"Don't worry – everything will be fine. I'll contact you once I've returned," he said sternly, but his eyes betrayed the emotion he felt for her. He pulled her into a brief hug.

"I hope you're right. The force be with you, Obi-Wan," she said to him as he jumped into his starfighter. He flashed her a smile, and she hurried back to the library, unconvinced that everything would be alright. As expected, Merina greeted her at the entrance, furious.

"And where, Ms. Sinthea, have you been?" she asked.

"I was wishing Master Kenobi good luck on his mission. If he is successful, it will be the end of this wretched war. Shouldn't we all want that?" Odessa said defiantly.

"You are not to mingle with the Jedi of this temple. I have told you time and time again, but you refuse to recognize your place. Were the council not busy with other matters at the moment, I would bring you to them right away. However, that will have to wait until tomorrow, when I assure you they will hear of your exploits with a certain Master Kenobi," the older woman said, furious.

"I will have a chance to plead my case fairly, then. They will agree with me that I have done nothing wrong. Now, Madam Orven, you are keeping me from my work." Odessa brushed past the woman and returned to her desk, the anger temporarily silencing the unease she felt at Obi-Wan's departure. Merina stormed through the multiple bookcases in the library, but Odessa didn't even notice the woman's antics.

The day passed, and Odessa's unease only grew. When it was finally time to return home, she rushed back to the apartment with Han and called the only person she knew she could count on – Padmé.

"Padmé, I know you probably have Anakin over, but if you get a chance, I could really use some support right now," she told her friend.

"Please…Please come over. I…I could really use some support, too," her friend told her. Odessa could see that she was crying.

"I'll be right there." Odessa grabbed her things and packed a small bag for Han, then made her way to Padmé's apartment. Her friend greeted her with a tight hug.

"'Dessa, you have no idea how glad I am to see you. I have a lot to tell you."

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! It means so much to me!

Rachel Sparrow: I figured you'd like it when they kissed :-). Initially I was going to put it later in the story, but it just fit so nicely there. Don't you agree?

Chibi Chingo: I hope this chapter wasn't too angsty for you! Thanks for reading, and I'm glad you like the story!

Mistress Haruka: Thank you for reviewing! I'm so glad you like the story – I'm trying to keep them in character as much as possible, so I'm glad you approve!

PhoenixFyre: I'm glad you liked that scene! It gave me chills when I was writing it – I know, I'm such a nerd :-).

Mirielle: As always, your reviews are much appreciated :-). Constructive criticism is always a good thing.

- time _with _Obi-Wan – I'm a dork and left out the "with." I fixed it, thanks for pointing it out!

- Obi-Wan being earnest – I'd like to think that he's learned from his relationship with Siri, if it could be called that. He feels something for Odessa, and he doesn't want to waste that.

- Obi-Wan taking action – he wasn't going to do anything until his feelings were reciprocated. He wanted her to know how he felt, though.

- Palpatine – I think, regardless of however foolproof Palpatine's plans are, the council is still going to be suspicious of him. Like you said, Mace suspected him beforehand, and Odessa mentioning that she noticed it too would only fuel that fire.

- Sounding like Anakin – yes, I know he sounds like Anakin. I wrote him specifically that way, because he's in a similar situation that Anakin is in. As you can see, he knows that he can't be both a Jedi and in a relationship with Odessa, but I imagine that anyone in his situation would want to have it both ways, regardless of their teachings. I think if Siri had lived, they would have wanted to be together, too. But I'm sure neither of them would give up their Jedi lifestyle, simply because it'd go against everything they are. Obi-Wan's relationship with Odessa isn't like Anakin's and Padmé's, though. Obi-Wan doesn't feel any possessiveness towards her, he just enjoys being with her.

- Friends with Padmé – Obi-Wan knows that they're friends. Padmé was at the hospital right after Han was born, and she told him earlier that she would talk to her about the Senate meeting.

- The story being successful: I think it's successful simply because I love writing it, and it appears that a number of people here enjoy reading it. I think I've been pretty good keeping the story with the movies, which was my main goal when writing it. Like I said, I'd like it to work with the books, but if it doesn't, that's okay with me.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Only Odessa and the plot are mine!

Thank you to all my reviewers! Responses to reviews are at the end!

Padmé was a wreck. Odessa had never seen her friend so upset, especially with Anakin home. She paced the living room worriedly, and Odessa could see the heavy worry lines in her forehead. She placed Han on the floor and sat on the couch.

"Did Anakin not take the news about the baby well?" she asked. Padmé's pacing stopped.

"Well no, not exactly. But he started having dreams about me dying in childbirth, and he just…changed. He's been…I don't know, obsessed with these visions recently. They're just dreams…but he's comparing them to the ones he had about his mother, so he thinks it'll really happen. And recently he's been really upset with the Jedi – they haven't been treating him well, and he's just become, I don't know, obsessed with getting more power. I've tried to explain to him that everything will be fine, but I don't know if I'm getting through to him. It feels like he's pulling away from me, and I don't know how to bring him back," Padmé said. She flopped onto the couch next to Odessa.

"Yes, Obi-Wan told me that Anakin has been moody lately, but I didn't think that it would go over to you," Odessa said, concerned. "Where is he now?"

"He's at the temple. I don't know what's going on…he won't tell me anything. I wish he could just open up to me, but it always seems as if he's hiding something from me." Padmé began to cry silently, burying her face in her hands.

"I'm sure once he settles down, everything will be alright. He's a good person, he's just a little over-emotional at times," Odessa said, trying to sound comforting. She placed an arm around her friend's shoulders.

"I hope you're right. I'm sorry; you must think I'm a horrible friend. You said that you needed someone to talk to – what's wrong?" Padmé asked, looking at her through watery eyes. Odessa sighed.

"All day I've had this horrible feeling that I'll never see Obi-Wan again. He just left to find General Grievous this morning, and I haven't heard from him. He said it would be a short mission, but he'd like to have Anakin with him. And I think I've completely ruined my job at the temple – Merina figured out that Obi-Wan and I have something going on together, and she's threatening to turn me in to the council. While I think I could come up with a reasonable explanation, I'd prefer to not have to. I'm going to plead with her tomorrow morning, but I don't think it'll do any good. She's suspected something, and today I was stupid and went to see Obi-Wan off. Of course, she figured out where I was going and was furious. I know it was stupid of me. I don't understand why I can't just realize that I'm not a Jedi anymore, and get on with my life." Odessa rubbed her eyes, enraged with herself.

"I'm sure Obi-Wan will be fine – he's gotten himself out of tighter situations before," Padmé said.

"True, but he's always had Anakin with him then. I think just the thought of having Anakin there boosts his confidence. He sees Anakin as a brother, and having his moral support really helps him. And Anakin is very good at what he does, so he's always been a real help in battles and whatnot. I've just had a bad feeling all day, and I can't shake it." Padmé stood up.

"What is with all this Jedi nonsense of feelings and visions and everything? Not everything is centered on the force. Us normal people have to base everything on the facts we know, because we don't have this mystical force to guide us. Why can't you just trust the facts for once?" she exclaimed, upset. Odessa looked at her, shocked. After a few moments, Padmé turned back to her, eyes teary again.

"'Dessa, I'm sorry…I shouldn't have said that. I'm just so frustrated by Anakin's behavior right now that I'm at my wit's end. You're not wrong in worrying…I know I'd be worried too, if Anakin was off on his own. I just don't understand why Anakin seems to be pulling away from me, right when I really need him," she said. Odessa stood and hugged her friend.

"I'm sure he'll settle down. He loves you, and he'd do anything for you. Just give him some time." She released Padmé, then walked into the kitchen to prepare dinner for the two of them. Padmé's swollen stomach was well concealed beneath the robe she was wearing, but it still made it difficult for her to get around the kitchen. She'd taken to having threepio cook, but he wasn't the best droid for the kitchen. Padmé was thankful whenever she could have Odessa cook, because it meant a better meal for everyone. They ate the meal slowly, discussing Anakin's recent actions and what they might mean. Unfortunately, the conversation did nothing to soothe Padmé's frayed nerves, and the uneasiness Odessa felt only grew. Once the meal was over, they moved to the couch, where Han had fallen asleep. They spoke quietly for a few moments as the sun gently dipped below the horizon, but soon fell into an uncomfortable silence as both women thought about the men in their lives. Suddenly, a deep, harsh pain filled Odessa's chest, and she jumped up in shock. She doubled over for a moment, then finally rose. Padmé stood beside her, concerned.

"'Dessa, what is it? Are you alright?" She placed a hand on Odessa's back.

"I…I'm fine…" she said, gazing out the window. Then her eyes grew wide as she raised a hand to her mouth. Padmé followed her gaze, and squeaked out an "Oh no!" as she saw thick plumes of smoke wafting out of the Jedi Temple. Odessa was frozen in shock.

"Anakin is there! What if…what if he's hurt?" Padmé exclaimed, gathering her things as if to leave. Odessa grabbed her arm.

"No, Padmé. You stay here; I'll find out what's going on, and come back as soon as I can. I don't want you endangering yourself there. Threepio will take care of you, and I'll be back shortly, I hope," Odessa told her friend. She scooped up the sleeping Han and rushed out the door. Hurrying back to her apartment, she put her exhausted son to bed in his crib, then grabbed the lightsaber Obi-Wan had given her. She secured it to her belt and rushed out the door. She made her way to the temple entrance, where she found several clone troops stationed outside.

"Ma'am, the temple is no longer safe to enter," one said.

"What's going on?" she asked frantically, trying to make her way in.

"The Jedi have gone against the senate, and it is our job to exterminate them," the clone said stoically.

"What!" Odessa exclaimed, astonished.

"Now, please leave," was his only reply. Odessa stared at the entrance, astonished. For the Jedi to go against the senate meant that some proof against Palpatine must have been discovered. However, the temple was the home of many of the younglings, and they would be taken unawares. She had to get inside. Taking a deep breath, she forced all emotions from her mind, and ignited her lightsaber.

Once the few clones guarding the entrance realized that she was a Jedi, they swarmed. Her reflexes kicked in, and soon their mutilated bodies surrounded her. She hurried into the temple, and the sight that greeted her was chaos. Younglings were running every which was as the few masters in the temple tried to both fight off the clones and get the children to safety. Odessa made her way to the cafeteria, and found yet another scene of destruction. Tables were strewn everywhere, chairs were overturned and broken, and the younglings were barricading themselves with the furniture to avoid the clones. She caught the attention of as many of the children as she could and ushered them into the kitchens, then picked off the rest of the clones loitering in the cafeteria. Once the coast was clear, she sent the children to the nearest classroom and told them not to leave until a master instructed them to do so. They huddled together in the corners, unsure of what to do. Once she convinced herself that they were safe, she headed for the hallway, looking for someone who knew what was going on.

The temple was a mess. The typically pristine floors were covered with dust and blood, littered with bodies of clones and Jedi alike. The scene of destruction sent waves of pain through Odessa body, but she forced herself to let go of all emotion and help where she could. A troop of clones turned the corner down the hallway, and she quickly slipped behind a damaged column, prepared to strike if necessary. Odessa slipped down the hallway in the opposite direction, and went unnoticed as she turned the corner. She could hear the distant screams of the victims as they echoed through the marble hallways, but it was impossible to tell where the heaviest fighting was. She made her way to the library, to see what damage had occurred there.

The scene that greeted was devestating. Books were piled on the floor, shelves overturned. All of the computers appeared to be destroyed, and Odessa made her way over to her desk. It was splintered in half, all of her data ruined in cracked heaps on the floor. She ran her fingertips lightly over the discs, then continued around the library. It was hard to tell where the most destruction was. Everywhere she turned revealed torn pages and upturned tables, not to mention the bodies that were strewn about the floor. She walked towards the back of the expansive library, close to the study rooms. There she found bodies of the younglings, helplessly murdered as they tried to save their own lives. Aghast, she made her way around the room, looking for any signs of life or any other children that could be saved. All she found was more destruction, more bodies around every corner. She knelt down next to some of her former students.

"Why would they kill the children? They weren't a threat to anyone," she wondered aloud, examining their wounds. There were some obviously caused by the guns of the clones, but there were also some distinct lightsaber wounds.

"The Sith have been here. We must have been right, that Palpatine is close to the Sith, if not a Sith himself. Only he could order the clones to do something like this," she thought to herself. Standing, she made her way to the entrance. There had to be somebody that was still alive that could tell her what was happening.

She walked the empty corridors, her shoes making far too much noise in the dead silence of the temple. She wanted to call out, but she could tell that the clones were still there, and she didn't want to draw any more attention to herself. She could handle a few clones coming at her, but if a whole troop were to turn on her, she couldn't stand a chance. The screams had quieted down, but she still held her lightsaber tightly in her hand, ready for combat if any enemies decided to jump out at her. The eerie silence and dim lighting made her uneasy, but she focused on finding any more younglings and getting to safety. She turned the corner and saw a dark figure, their identity hidden behind the dark Jedi cloak, standing at the end of the hallway, reconfiguring the message center. She walked a bit faster, cautiously but curious to see who this person was. As she got closer, she realized that the figure was Anakin.

"Anakin! Am I glad to see you!" she called out, remembering Padmé's anguish. She rushed forward, but abruptly stopped as he turned towards her. His face was menacing, and he wore a strange smile as he looked at her. His eyes were glowing bright red as he looked at her. Odessa gave him a confused look.

"But…Anakin…why?" she asked as he approached.

"I didn't realize they allowed just anyone to carry a lightsaber," he said sneeringly. "But it doesn't matter – soon your fate will be like all the rest."

He raised his lightsaber to her, and she prepared to defend herself. It pained her to fight her best friend's husband, but she could see that he was no longer the man Padmé had fallen in love with. The person before her was pure evil, pure hatred – pure Sith. They began to clash blades, and she soon saw that he was extremely skilled. She was able to keep him from striking her, but only just. His intensity grew, but because of her constant training, she was able to keep up.

The fight was long and grueling. Odessa wouldn't have stood a chance against him if she hadn't been spending every possible moment shaping up her skills with his master. However, it was clear that he had strength and power that she just didn't, and slowly but surely Anakin was wearing her down. Beads of sweat were trailing down her neck and her muscles burned with pain, but she would not back down. The realization that she might die crept into her mind, but she refused to let it scare her. Death was not nearly as frightening to her as it had been three short years before. She fought as well as she could, using everything she had learned over the years as a guide. She could feel her master's presence, pushing her to be her best. It gave her some strength, but she was still no match for the young man in front of her.

"Anakin, why the Sith? There were such high hopes for you…" she pleaded as they fought.

"Only the Sith can give me what I want. I was being held back here," he said roughly, escalating his attack.

"And what is it you want?" She asked, matching him.

"Power. That was something that the dear masters of this place kept denying me. They should have realized that the chosen one shouldn't have been held back by their petty rules," he shot back.

The masters. Obi-Wan. He would be devastated once he learned that his own student was the one to kill so many. What if he was dead already? Panic shot through her as she lost her focus on Anakin, but quickly she pushed the thoughts of Obi-Wan and resumed the fight. But the brief second she had taken to think on Obi-Wan had been enough, and just as she restored her focus to Anakin, she felt his blade slice across her torso. She crumpled to the floor, shaking as she looked up at him.

"Anakin, what would Padmé think of what you're doing?" she said weakly.

"I'm doing this FOR Padmé! I won't lose her, not when I can gain the power to keep her alive! She's the reason why I'm doing this!" he exploded at her, brandishing his lightsaber.

"She thinks she's already lost you," she said faintly, trying to pull herself together. She didn't need to look down to see the blood seeping from her body, or feel the pain to know that she was dying. Anakin looked down at her curiously, then was gone with a swish of his robes. She dragged herself to the wall, gently leaning on it as she shook violently from the pain. Closing her eyes, she focused all of her thoughts on Han and Obi-Wan, wanting her last thoughts to be of them.

Perhaps hours passed, perhaps days. Odessa remained in a state of semi-consciousness, realizing that she was going to die but willing herself to stay alive on the chance that Obi-Wan might return safely. She felt as if all of those who had just become part of the force were egging her on, helping her stay alive as she waited for what may have been nothing. She felt as if she were both freezing and on fire, shaking and sweating as she curled up into a ball. Finally, after what seemed like days to her, She heard the faint voices of Master Yoda and Obi-Wan.

"Killed not by clones, this Padawan. By a lightsaber, he was," Odessa heard Yoda say. Her eyes snapped open once she realized how close they were.

"Who? Who could have done this?" she heard Obi-Wan ask. She tried to pull herself up, but found that she was too weak.

"Obi-Wan…"she called out as loudly as she could. It came out as little more than a whisper, but it was enough to catch his attention. As soon as he saw who it was, he rushed over to her.

"Odessa? Oh Force, Odessa, what happened?" he said to her, falling to the floor beside her. He pulled her into his arms, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Obi-Wan…it was Anakin. I tried…I tried to stop him, but I got here too late. He…he's not the boy you trained…not anymore. Obi-Wan, he's gone to the Sith," she told him, struggling. He cradled her in his arms, small tears forming at the corner of his eyelids as he looked at her wound.

"Anakin? But why? And where is he now?" he asked her.

"Go…go to Padmé. She'll…she'll know where he is. But I…I don't know if she'll tell you." Her voice was coming out in gasps.

"'Dessa…I…I'm sorry I wasn't here to protect you…" he said, watching her frail body shake. She smiled weakly at him.

"Obi-Wan…please…make sure Han is safe. I'm sure he's hungry…I haven't been home since…since the temple was initially attacked. Please, keep him out of harms way." Obi-Wan could tell that she was fading fast, but he pulled her closer and gently brushed the hair out of her face.

"Odessa…I wanted to tell you…I should have told you so long ago…I love you." The words came out softly and simply, but in that moment Odessa could feel every bit of the love he had for her, and knew that the way she felt for him was so much more than any other relationship she had had, either with her master or her husband. She reached up, desperate to look into his turquoise eyes once more before leaving him.

"I know," she whispered. He lowered his head to hers, kissing her gently and sweetly. It held much more passion and love than she had ever experienced before, and she knew that there would be no better way to die than in her lover's arms. He pulled away gently, and she looked deeply into his eyes. He touched his forehead to hers, and she exhaled her final breath. Gently Obi-Wan reached up and closed her eyes, then laid her down again. He stood, looking at Yoda, who had witnessed the entire exchange.

"Loved her, you did?" he asked. "That is not wise, Master Kenobi."

"I do love her. She was everything that made me complete. I know that my life has been forever changed because she was part of it." Yoda looked at him serenely. Obi-Wan made his way to the message control center and taking a deep breath, he forced himself to concentrate on the task at hand. He fiddled with the computers for a few moments as Yoda watched on. Finally, he looked up.

"I've recalibrated the code warning all surviving Jedi to stay away," Obi-Wan said.

"Good. For the Clones to discover the recalibration, a long time it will take. To change it back, longer still. Hurry," Yoda replied. The two Jedi started out of the temple, but Obi-Wan lagged behind as they passed the hologram area in the main control center.

"Wait, Master. There is something I must know," Obi-Wan said, knowing that Odessa wouldn't lie to him, but desperate to see the truth with his own eyes.

"If into the security recordings you go, only pain will you find," Yoda warned.

"I must know the truth, Master." Obi-Wan made his way to the hologram projector and pushed the switch. In front of him, clear as day, he saw images of Anakin slaughtering the younglings. "It can't be…It can't be…" Obi-Wan muttered to himself, horrified. But he had known, ever since the words left Odessa's mouth, that it was true. They had talked themselves about how frustrated Anakin had been, and while it wasn't foreseen that he could have gone to the Sith, it all clicked into place. The realization, however, didn't give Obi-Wan any comfort as he watched Anakin bow down before Palpatine, now swathed in the garb of a true Sith Lord. "I can't watch anymore," he said as he finally switched off the hologram. Yoda looked at Obi-Wan, the slightest glimpse of sympathy for the younger Jedi written in his face. Obi-Wan was deep in thought.

"Destroy the Sith, we must," Yoda's voice sounded, breaking the dead silence within the temple. Obi-Wan cast him a desperate look.

"Send me to kill the Emperor. I will not kill Anakin," he said, almost pleadingly.

"To fight this Lord Sidious, strong enough, you are not."  
"He is like my brother! I cannot do it!" Obi-Wan's eyes begged Yoda silently to understand, but if the Jedi Master did, he showed no sign.

"Twisted by the dark side, young Skywalker has become. The boy you trained, gone he is . . . Consumed by Darth Vader," Yoda told him. Obi-Wan sighed, knowing that he had to do what Yoda said. As much as he cared for Anakin, he was truly gone; replaced by this wretched, evil shell of the Jedi he once was.

"How could it have come to this?" Obi-Wan asked, more to himself than anyone else.

"To question, no time there is." Yoda started out of the temple, but Obi-Wan lagged behind.

"I do not know where the Emperor has sent him. I don't know where to look," Obi-Wan said, but even as the words left his mouth, he knew that he didn't believe them. Odessa had told him where to find Anakin, and he knew that she was right.

"Use your feelings, Obi-Wan, and find him, you will. Visit the new Emperor, my task is. May the Force be with you," Yoda replied, almost scoldingly.

"May the force be with you, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan replied, thinking over what he had to do. Yoda left the temple, leaving Obi-Wan to his thoughts. He made his way to Odessa body and gently wrapped it in his robe. Heading to her apartment, he found a scared and lonely Han crying in his crib. He did what he could for the boy, but it seemed as if even he understood what had happened in the galaxy, and the dangers to come. He rewrapped Odessa's body in some thick sheets, then brought both Han and his mother's body to Bail Organa, explaining the situation to him and asking him to watch over the boy while he went on his grim task. While the senator was confused, he agreed. Senator Organa brought Han to Polis Massa to wait for Obi-Wan to return.

Return he did, looking and feeling far worse than he had when he left on his mission. He wanted nothing more than to just spend some time with Han, but he couldn't due to Padmé's condition. He sat through yet another childbirth and watched yet another person he cared for die, feeling as if he'd seen enough death to last him a lifetime. He was actually a bit grateful to be forced into seclusion on Tattooine once the children's fates had been decided, but Odessa's final pleas kept echoing through his mind. Eager as he was to resume his training with Master Qui-Gon, who had contacted Yoda in order to train the two of them to hold on to their consciousness once they had passed on, he knew he had to fulfill his unspoken promise to make sure Han was safe. He packed up Luke and Han, along with a few personal possessions and Odessa body, and headed to Corellia, in search of any family for Han. He wasn't surprised when he didn't find any on the bustling, industrial planet. Tempted as he was to keep Han and raise him by himself, he knew it wouldn't be safe for Han to be associated with any Jedi, regardless of the boy's own proficiency with the force. Reluctantly he decided to leave him at an orphanage in the center of the biggest city on the planet, hoping he could just blend in with the crowd and lead something of a normal life.

"It would be better if you forgot all about me, little one," he said to the boy.

"Oben?" was the boy's only response. Obi-Wan picked him up and hugged him tightly.

"I want you to imagine that your mother is here instead of me, alright?" Obi-Wan pictured Odessa in his mind – her beautiful smile, her warm, loving eyes – and tried his best to instill that image into Han. He kissed the boy softly on the forehead, then handed him over to the caretaker of the orphanage. A silent tear slipped down his cheek as he walked away.

Epilogue

The twins suns of Tattooine were gradually disappearing beneath the horizon as the man known as Ben Kenobi walked around his small hut beyond the Dune Sea. If anyone noticed him, they stayed away – he seemed far too odd for anyone to approach. There were rumors, of course, that he was one of those traitorous Jedi, just waiting for a time to strike at the empire, but there was no proof. The man kept to himself, only coming into town once a month to restock on food and to get a snippet of the latest news. The locals could say that he was a soft-spoken, quiet man who seemed scarred by things in his past, but what those things were, no one knew. The mystery frightened them.

He walked towards a white marble slab approximately fifty feet from the back of his hut, and sat on the hard, dusty ground. The slab was bare and often covered with dust due to the vicious sandstorms that consistently plagued the area. Yet it seemed that whatever was concealed by that slab was obviously of great importance to him, since he could be found clearing it after every storm, making sure its surface was just as pristine as the floors of the now demolished Jedi Temple had been. No one was around to hear what he said, but he spoke as if he was talking to an old friend or lover.

"Odessa, it's been a year since…since Anakin went bad. I'm so sorry for everything – I should have seen the signs, or been there to protect you, anything that could have made your fate different. I want you to know that if I could have kept Han, I would have, but you know as well as I that he'll be much safer far away from anything remotely Jedi. I must admit, I've felt as though I've failed you, by not being as strong as I know you imagined me to be. That's why it's taken me so long to really come here and talk to you, not just to come and clean this overly expensive monument I've constructed to give you some sort of rememberance. I've spoken with Master Yoda through untraceable channels, and we both agree that your efforts in the temple are the epitome of what a Jedi should be – a person willing to die for what they know is right. Therefore, since we are the only two remaining council members, we hereby grant you the title of Jedi Knight. I know it doesn't mean anything now, but I know how important it was to you. I hope that you're happy wherever you are, watching over Han and me and probably laughing at my silly sentimentality. I know that you always knew how much I love you, but I want to remind you. You're the one person who understood me completely, the only one who truly made me feel as though I was doing a truly noble thing with my life by being a Jedi. But you know I would have given it all up, just for another day with you. Rest well, my love, and I hope one day we can be together again."

He placed a small wreath of wildflowers on her grave, then stood and returned to his house. There, he found the ghostly incarnation of his former master waiting for him.

"It's about time you did that. The weight of your guilt over her death has been holding you back for quite some time now," he said.

"I know. I just…couldn't find the words to tell her goodbye. Losing her from my life really left a void in me, and I wasn't quite sure how to deal with that. I'd never really felt loss before, not even when I lost you. I suppose that's because I could still feel your presence around myself and Anakin, and I drew strength from that. I sometimes think that I can feel her, too, but I wonder if that's just my imagination playing tricks on me. Have you found any evidence of her from your side of things?"

"We over here know no more than you do on your side. A being can go unnoticed as long as they don't reveal themselves to others. But I am more perceptive of the spirits than you are, and I have noticed her around you every now and then," Qui-Gon replied calmly.

"If…if you can talk to her at all, if she's really solid enough to even talk to, let her know that I still care for her. She means quite a lot to me," Obi-Wan said, a bit awkwardly. Qui-Gon paused for a moment, then smiled.

"She knows."

FIN

Well, there you have it! I know it wasn't the ending some of you were hoping for, and believe me, no one wanted them to live happily ever after more than I did. Truthfully, though, Odessa's death was the first part of this story that came to mind, right after I fell in love with Obi-Wan's character after seeing Episode I for the first time, and I knew that this wonderful character I had created wouldn't have wanted to die any other way than fighting the Sith. I have something of an idea for a sequel to this story, but even if I do write it, it'll have to wait until after July 16th, and after any HP-crazed obsessions have died down. Also, if there's any interest at all, I did write an Odessa/Obi-Wan story between Ep 2 and Ep 3 for how I thought Anakin might go bad, but it was completely blown out of the water once I saw Ep 3. It's relatively short – probably about 10,000 words, and I can post it as an additional chapter here if there's interest. I want you all to know how thankful I am for your support – I really felt that there were a lot of people who liked reading my story, and that made me really happy. It was great to finally be writing for an audience as well as for myself. So even to those of you who didn't write any reviews, thank you. Now that they've started tracking hits to my stories, I get a little ego boost every time I see that number go up :-).

To all of my wonderful, wonderful reviewers – Thank you all so so so so much! Without you guys I may have never gotten around to finishing this story, or making it as good as I think it is right now. I hope I didn't disappoint any of you – I know some of you wanted it to fit more with the books, or wanted more action between Obi-Wan and Odessa, but I really, really hope you all like it. While I was writing this mostly for myself, I loved reading your reviews and I took them all to heart, regardless if I followed your suggestions or not. So thank you all so much.

Rachel Sparrow – I think you're right, it is longer than four days. I'm going to try and tweak it to add a few more days in there…the four just seems so short. I know, you wanted them to be on Tattooine together…but I hope you were still satisfied with the ending. Thank you so much for all of your reviews!

Becka – Thank you for the review! I'm glad you like the story!

Everyone else that's ever reviewed – Thank you thank you thank you! I loved them all! Hugs to all of you!


	10. Note from the Author

Well hello everyone!

I know many of you were disappointed by the ending – and I'm sorry, but I can't change it. It's what I was planning the whole time.

But, don't worry! I'm planning on writing a sequel that should make everyone happy again – right now I'm just in Harry Potter mode, having recently finished and reread the book, and I can't really devote as much attention to the sequel as it deserves. But I'd like to thank you all for reading it, and I promise I'll post a notice here once I've got the sequel up and running!

corkypup


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